Student Murrow Awards

Since 1971, RTDNA has been honoring outstanding achievements in broadcast and digital journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards. Among the most prestigious in news, the Murrow Awards recognize local and national news stories that uphold the RTDNA Code of Ethics, demonstrate technical expertise and exemplify the importance and impact of journalism as a service to the community. Murrow Award winning work demonstrates the excellence that Edward R. Murrow made a standard for the broadcast news profession.

Eligibility

One Student Murrow Award will be awarded to an individual or team of students in each of eight categories. Entries are judged on the national level and winners are recognized at the RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards Gala.

The competition is open to anyone enrolled as a full-time undergraduate or high school student. The name of the high school, college or university must be clearly referenced in the entry materials.
All entries must have been produced in the year prior.
The work must be that of the student(s) and must have been produced while the entrant(s) was/were enrolled as an undergraduate or high school student and not employed in a professional news gathering capacity.
Work produced solely as a classroom exercise will not be eligible. A classroom exercise is defined as an assignment for fulfillment of a course requirement unless it was also published, broadcast, or made available to the public on a digital platform.
Advisers and other faculty members may enter on behalf of their students; however, entries should be made in the name of an individual student or team of students, not in the name of a faculty member.

View the FAQs

Deadlines & Important Dates

December 18, 2024: Entry Period Opens

February 13, 2025: Entry Period Closes (5 p.m. EST)

Summer 2025: National Winners Announced

October 13, 2025: Edward R. Murrow Awards Gala

Fees & Payment

RTDNA Members: $20 per Entry

Non-Members: $40 per Entry

RTDNA accepts credit card payments from Visa, MasterCard and American Express. For totals in excess of $1,500, payment may be made by check. No refunds will be issued.

Rules

General Rules & Guidelines

Entries not originally produced or broadcast in English should include English subtitles or a written English translation.
Voice-overs or narratives are permitted only if they were part of the original piece(s).
A short description of the entry is requested.
Judging will be based on the original work samples and not on the way the entry is produced.
Each entry must be accompanied by the correct entry fee.
At the discretion of the judges, awards may not be granted in some categories.
Decisions of the judges are final.
Entries in the audio and video categories must be submitted in the form of a URL to the online awards site. Entries in the digital category must be functioning, cached or active URLs.
Student Edward R. Murrow entries may also be entered into the professional Edward R. Murrow competition, so long as they meet the applicable criteria in the category or categories in which they are entered.

Excellence in Podcasts

Podcasts are defined as digital audio files made available on the internet, typically available as a series.
Entry may feature a single episode or an edited overview of a series that does not exceed 30 minutes.
Entry must demonstrate original and outstanding journalistic enterprise on an important issue.
Entry may be edited, and all commercial breaks must be removed.
Entrants should also provide an active link to the full podcast series.

Excellence in Audio Feature Reporting

Submit a single report covering a human-interest or profile subject that is not breaking news or investigative in nature.
Entry may not be entered in the Reporting: Hard News category.
A short description of the entry is requested.
Entry may be edited.
Entry must not exceed 30 minutes.

Excellence in Audio Hard News

Entries should consist of one piece, series, or package demonstrating exceptional news coverage and journalistic skill.
Humorous or soft-topic stories do not belong in this category.
Entry may not be entered in the Feature Reporting category.
Entry may be edited.
Entry must not exceed 30 minutes.

Excellence in Audio Newscast

Newscast entries should consist of a complete newscast up to 30 minutes in length. If the newscast is longer than 30 minutes, submit only the first 30 minutes.
Any commercial breaks must be removed from the entry but no other editing is allowed.

Excellence in Video Feature Reporting

Submit a single report covering a human-interest or profile subject that is not breaking news or investigative in nature.
Entry may not be entered in the Reporting: Hard News category.
A short description of the entry is requested.
Entry may be edited.
Entry must not exceed 30 minutes.

Excellence in Video Hard News

Entries should consist of one piece, series, or package demonstrating exceptional news coverage and journalistic skill.
Humorous or soft-topic stories do not belong in this category.
Entry may not be entered in the Feature Reporting category.
Entry may be edited.
Entry must not exceed 30 minutes.

Excellence in Video Newscast

Newscast entries should consist of a complete newscast up to 30 minutes in length. If the newscast is longer than 30 minutes, submit only the first 30 minutes.
Any commercial breaks must be removed from the entry but no other editing is allowed.

Excellence in Digital Reporting

Submit a functioning, cached or active URL linking to a single report.
A short description of the entry is requested.
If the entry includes audio or video content, total run time may not exceed 30 minutes.

Judging Criteria