The Ossies      Back to top

The annual awards, named after journalist Osmar S. White, are organised by the JEA and judged by media executives in Australia and New Zealand. Prizes are awarded in 15 categories for news and feature writing, current affairs reporting and student publications.

The judges in the main categories will be drawn from media executives in Australia and New Zealand. The winner of the Best Story (Any Medium) will be selected from category winners at a special meeting of the JEA Executive. The JEA Executive will also select the winner of the Dr Charles Stuart Prize for Best Student Publication. The Dr Charles Stuart Prize, which carries no monetary prize, will be awarded from among the best regular and occasional student publications.

Winners of the best story categories will receive a a prize of $100, except for the Hunter Institute Response Ability Prize, which attracts a $150 prize. The winner of Best Story (Any Medium) will win an additional $250.

Winners will be announced at the JEA Annual Conference in December in New Zealand.

Please note that only institutions with at least two (2) financial JEA members are eligible to enter the awards.

The deadline for entries is September 29. Late entries will not be accepted. This will be strictly enforced.

Further Information

Queries about the award categories, deadlines or entry criteria should be directed to:

Dr Angela Romano
The Hub, Creative Industries Precinct
Queensland University of Technology
GPO Box 2434
Brisbane Qld 4001
Ph: 07 3864 8162
Fax: 07 3864 8195
Email: a.romano@qut.edu.au

Categories     Back to top

1. Best Print News Story ($100) by an Undergraduate or Postgraduate Student (recommended length of 300 to 700 words*)
2. Best Radio News Story ($100) by an Undergraduate or Postgraduate Student (recommended duration of 30 to 80 seconds*)
3. Best TV News Story ($100) by an Undergraduate or Postgraduate Student (recommended duration of one to three minutes*)
4. Best Print Feature ($100) by an Undergraduate Student
5. Best Print Feature ($100) by a Postgraduate Student
6. Best Radio Current Affairs Story ($100) by an Undergraduate Student
7. Best TV Current Affairs Story ($100) by an Undergraduate Student
8. Best Broadcast Current Affairs Story ($100) by a Postgraduate Student
9. Best Online Story ($100) by an Undergraduate or Postgraduate Student
10. Best Story by an International Student ($100)
11. Best Photojournalism ($100) (Undergraduate or Postgraduate) (Judged on the merit of both the photographs and accompanying text)
12. Hunter Institute Response Ability Prize for mental health reporting. ($150) (Any medium)
13. Best Regular Student Publication (For publications that are published or broadcast in any medium more than once per semester)
14. Best Occasional Student Publication (Any medium)
15. Best Online Publication
16. Dr Charles Stuart Prize for Best Student Publication (Any Medium)
17. Best Story (Any Medium)

* The word/time lengths for the Best Print, Best Radio and Best Television News categories are recommended lengths only. Some stories may exceed the recommended lengths if the content of the story warrants it.

Download entry form.

The 2005 entries list

Conditions     Back to top

Awards Criteria

Only institutions with at least two (2) financial JEA members are eligible to submit entries.

Only two (2) entries per category may be submitted by any one institution. When an institution submits more than two entries per category, all entries from that institution in that category will be disqualified.

Two (2) copies of each entry must be forwarded. If two copies are not received, the entry will be disqualified. TV entries should be in VHS or DVD (mpeg) format. Radio entries should be on analogue audio tape. It is the applicant’s responsibility to test each entry for compatibility and operation.

All entries must be received by the organisers no later than September 29, 2006. Late entries will not be accepted. Student work produced after October 7, 2005, may be entered in the 2006 Ossie Awards. Entries will not be returned.

All entries must be accompanied by an entry form, which must include a statement of no more than 150 words describing the circumstances under which the entry was prepared. Entrants must clearly indicate what assistance they received, if any, in creating the work. Entrants should also specify if they have ever worked as a cadet or graded journalist, and if so, for how long.

In submitting entries, individuals and institutions agree to accept the decision of the JEA Executive as final in all awards.

The word/time lengths for the Best Print, Best Radio and Best Television News categories are recommended lengths only. Some stories may exceed the recommended lengths if the content of the story warrants it.

Each entry in the Best Publication categories, and any work completed by a student while on work experience or internship, must be validated as primarily the student’s own work by the student’s lecturer or workplace supervisor. Specific information must be provided to clarify any form of additional assistance (e.g. use of file footage or photography, editing or graphic design, etc.).

The prizes for news, feature and current affairs reports will be awarded to the student(s) who produced the winning entry.

Certificates for Best Student Publications will go to institutions and to individual students nominated by the supervising lecturer of the winning institution.

The JEA Executive reserves the right to decline to award a prize in any category.

Page updated: August 13, 2007

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