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SAVE National Media Award

The SAVE Award for Excellence in Reporting On Suicide was established to recognize members of the media who demonstrate responsible reporting on the topics of mental health and suicide.

Official Rules and Regulations

Please read the Rules and Regulations in their entirety before submitting an entry for the award. Submission forms can be accessed through the buttons at the bottom of this page.

PURPOSE OF AWARD

To recognize safe and ethical reporting on the impact of suicide and publications or broadcasts that contribute to public understanding of suicide and mental health.

ELIGIBILITY

  1. Entrants must be at least 17 years old at the time of submission. Entrants 17 years of age must upload the parent/guardian consent form along with their submission. Click HERE to download the form.
  2. Any individual residing in the United States is eligible to submit an entry.
  3. Eligible entries must (1) be media stories or news reports that fall within at least one of the following categories: newscasts, breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, hard news, continuing coverage, news series, feature report or story, or news documentary and (2) must address in some way suicide or suicide prevention. Because the subject of suicide is on the spectrum of mental health, stories that briefly touch on suicide with a broader mental health theme or message are also eligible and welcome. Some examples of acceptable entries include: news or broadcast coverage of a suicide death, a news report on an attempt survivor, op-eds, an educational or awareness publication or broadcast, a prevention-focused story, or news on research or release of data. The judges have final ruling on what content is eligible. If you have questions about the content of your entry, please send an email to save@save.org. 
  4. Eligible mediums include (1) Print Publications (newspaper or magazine), (2) Online Publications and (3) Broadcast media submissions (television, radio, online broadcast video or podcast).
  5. Entries must meet standards for safe reporting and other applicable guidelines (see the Judging section for details).
  6. Entries may be submitted by individuals, collaborations (group entry), or on behalf of entire media organizations, networks, or stations. Group entries and media organizations must designate a primary author and will be counted as one entry.
  7. Unpublished material, class assignments for college credit, and broadcasts that were not aired publicly are not eligible for the award.
  8. Entries must have been published or broadcasted within the last two calendar years.
  9. Entries must have been published or broadcasted to a public facing audience.
  10. Social media posts are not eligible. Media stories may be posted or shared widely on a blog or social media, but ALSO must be published by a legitimate news agency. Judges have final discretion on news source legitimacy.

GENERAL RULES

  1. Entries may be submitted in any language, but must include subtitles or translation in English.
  2. Entry materials will not be returned and may be published on save.org for educational or marketing purposes.
  3. Incomplete entries will be disqualified.
  4. Entrants may submit more than one entry if desired.
  5. A publication or broadcast series up to 5 parts is permissible and must be submitted as one entry.
  6. Still photography is not eligible by itself, but may accompany a written entry.

ENTRY FORM INFORMATION

To submit an entry you will be asked to fill out a short online form. The form requires you to provide the following:

  1. Age Verification. Entrants must be at least 18 years of age to submit an entry OR 17 years of age with a signed agreement from a parent or guardian. See #6 in Section II. ELIGIBILITY for minor applicant form.
  2. Entrant Information. Entrants will provide: First and Last Name, Email Address, Phone Number, and Mailing Address. If your contact information changes after your have submitted your entry, please notify save@save.org with the correct information.
  3. Basic Entry Details. Entrants will answer a set of questions based on the content of the entry.
  4. Entry Summary. Entrants will provide a 300-500 word summary of the entry.
  5. Upload Entry. Entrants will be asked to attach their entry to the form by uploading or copy and pasting the URL (See submission specifications below).
  6. Date of Publication and Publisher Information. Entrants will provide the date the entry was published or broadcast and the media organization, network or station that published or broadcast the entry including contact information of the publishing agency. Entrants will also need to upload any letters of complaint, corrections or retractions that are relevant to the judging process.
  7. Disclaimer and Type Name. Entrants must agree to have read the Official Award Entry Rules and Regulations and type their full name before submitting.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Follow the specifications in order to successfully upload your publication or broadcast:

Category I. Print Publications (newspapers or magazines)

  • If your entry appeared in a printed newspaper or magazine, you will select on the entry form “Print Publications.”
  • Follow these format specifications:
    • Print publication entries must be in PDF format ONLY. If your document is not accessible, your submission will be disqualified.
    • If you submit a publication series, all published articles in the series must be in ONE PDF document. Series are limited to five stories maximum.
    • Word documents are not acceptable.

Category II. Online Publications

  • If your entry was published online ONLY by a news or media organization, select on the entry form “Online Publications.”
  • Follow these format specifications:
    • Entrants may submit a link to the online article in which their story appeared OR save and upload your entry as a PDF file.
    • Word documents are not acceptable.
    • When submitting an online publication series, all published articles in the series must be in ONE PDF document. Series are limited to five stories maximum.

Category III. Broadcasts (radio, television, online broadcast or podcasts)

  • If your entry appeared as a broadcast on network or local television, as audio on the radio or podcast or online broadcast, you will select on the entry form “Broadcasts.”
  • Follow these format specifications:
    • Audio or visual broadcast submissions must be uploaded to YouTube, Vimeo, or any other desired platform for viewing/listening.
    • Radio, television or podcast materials must be accessible by the judges in unlocked or in public access mode for viewing.
    • If you desire to keep broadcasts private, however any usernames or passwords to access the video must be provided on the entry form. You will be notified by Email if your video cannot be opened or viewed.

JUDGING

Entries will be judged based on the following criteria:

  1. Adherence to the SPJ’s high quality journalistic standards.
  2. Follows the general guidelines for journalistic style writing.
  3. Adherence to the Recommendations for Reporting on Suicide.
  4. Follows the “Responsible Reporting” section of the World Health Organization Preventing Suicide: A Resource for Media Professionals
  5. Adherence to the following basic safety measures for reporting on suicide:
  • Emphasizes that suicide is preventable and should be prevented to the extent possible.
  • Conveys a positive message or tone.
  • Provides accurate, relevant, and useful information.
  • Provides a clear narrative, it is easy to understand, and it makes sense.
  • Avoids harmful images, glamorization of suicide, or stigmatization of people who have attempted suicide.
  • Avoids presenting suicide as an inexplicable act or oversimplifying the issue.
  • Avoids presenting overly detailed descriptions of suicide victims or methods and locations of suicide.

Design Elements

  1. Demonstrates high quality production.
  2. Is an original or creative use of the medium’s capability.

PRIZE

Possible Award Categories

Best:

Newscast
Breaking news coverage
Investigative reporting
Hard news
Continuing coverage
News series
Feature report or story
Podcast
Documentary
Other (entrants may describe entry if not listed)

Winners will receive $150.00 cash and a glass trophy award. 

TIMELINE AND DEADLINE

  • Entry Form: Always open
  • Entry deadline each cycle: July 15
  • Judging process: July 16- August 31
  • Winner notified: September 1
  • Winner announced publicly: World Suicide Prevention Day- September 10

Entry Portal is always OPEN!

If you submit an entry AFTER September 10, your entry will be considered for the next year’s media award cycle. 

Submit Entry

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