What Makes Journalism “Excellent”? Criteria Identified by Judges in Two Leading Awards Programs

Bibliographic Data

ID7497277
AuthorsIvor Shapiro (0000-0002-0100-2804, Toronto Metropolitan University, corresponding author), Patrizia Albanese (Toronto Metropolitan University), Leigh Doyle (Toronto Metropolitan University)
Year2006
Volume31
Issue2
Pages425-445
Publication date2006-07-19
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueCanadian Journal of Communication (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0705-3657 • E-ISSN: 1499-6642
PublisherJilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences (PUBLISHER • CN)
DOI10.22230/cjc.2006v31n2a1743
OpenAlexW2146070651
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited21

What does “excellence” mean in journalism? The literature reveals no universally agreed set of standards, and awards guidelines are often unclear. We interviewed judges in two leading Canadian print journalism awards programs, using a sequence of open-ended and ranking questions to probe their criteria of excellence in a way calculated to elicit not just the standards they felt should be applied but the standards they actually did apply. Judges mentioned a wide variety of criteria, including the social importance and impact of works of journalism. But only two values were affirmed consistently: writing style and reporting rigour

Epistemology · Excellence · Information retrieval · Journalism · Political science · Public relations · Ranking (information retrieval · Rigour · Set (abstract data type · Sociology · Style (visual arts · Variety (cybernetics · Computational and Text Analysis Methods · Computer Science · History · Law · Media Studies and Communication · Philosophy · Psychology · Public Relations and Crisis Communication

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Open DOIOpen Access