The National Press Photographers Association's annual Best of Television Photojournalism contest is being judged here at Poynter. The winners represent the best photo and visual journalism from professionals around the nation, and they're all displayed on the contest website for you to enjoy and study.
The winner for online news feature photography was the Washington Post's
"Being a Black Man" project, a multimedia glimpse into the lives of several African-American men. Another online award went to the
Post's
"Reminders of Ancient Orange," a story detailing the effects on the Vietnamese population of a toxic herbicide that the U.S. used during the Vietnam War.
Here is the link to Al Tompkin's commentary on the contest and some lessons learned. For example, in the online photojournalism categories, judges complained of flat narration and emotionally disconnected reporters. Photojournalist Mark Morache, King-TV Seattle, said:
"When you are watching a great story, you see it, you know it, you feel it in your gut. It sticks with you, and when it is over, you say, 'Re-rack it and play it again.'"
Are your pieces great stories, or unemotional drudge? Do you get to the end and want to watch or read it again?
Use the winners and losers in this contest to gain inspiration and ideas, to evaluate your own work, to learn storytelling techniques...to see professional journalism in action.
