Video Photography and Video Editing Eligibility

• All entries must have been created and aired from January 1, 2024 through January 21, 2025.

• All entries must have been created by Active or Life Members in good standing. If you are not currently an active member, you may join and submit your membership dues for both 2024 and 2025. Then, you may enter work completed by January 21, 2025. 

• At least 80% of each individual entry must be the work of the entrant.

• Teams of two or more members may enter stories together. Each member must have contributed at least 30% to the entry. This will, by definition, limit team entries to a maximum of three entrants, no matter how many people contributed to the entry. Team entries may be entered only once for the entire team. Entrants must specify in the designated “Team field” which person did which parts of the project and roughly what percentage of the work they did. Please select “Team” when prompted in the submission and include the names of those who worked on the entry.

• The Video Contest Committee reserves the right to disqualify any entry. The committee may confirm eligibility of any submission with an entrant's senior producer, assignment editor, bureau chief or similar supervisor.

Any piece that is entered in the Digital Storytelling Contest may not also be entered in this contest, and vice versa. All entries in this contest must have been originally broadcast or published by an organization engaged primarily in the gathering or reporting of news.  Entries originally published/posted on personal social media accounts (i.e, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) do not qualify. Vertical video is not eligible. If your story is later re-edited or "re-versioned" for another medium, such as a website or social media, you must enter the original version in this contest. The reversion project can be entered in to the Digital Storytelling Contest

Entry Rules

• Please read carefully! ALL ENTRIES ARE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY

• There is a three (3) entry limit per category per entrant. A team entry counts as one entry for each member on the entry.

• An individual can win only one place in each category. This includes Team entries! If you are on a Team entry in one category, you may enter only two more individual or Team pieces in that category.

• Story title should be brief, between two and four words maximum. This is the title that will be used for publishing award winners.

• Entries must be submitted as .MOV or .MP4 files. Dimensions may be 1280 X 720 but 1920 X 1080 is preferred. Files must be encoded using H264.

• Naming convention for each file should be category type & number_name of entry_entrant initials.  For example, if Charlie MacDonald entered a piece named "Security" in the General News Editing category, the name of the exported file would be: E02_Security_CM. Team entries must contain the word "TEAM" at the end of the slug on both the entry and the three jpegs.

• Three images that represent your story must be uploaded with each entry. These images must be in the JPEG format. Still images must match the dimensions of your video files.  No non-standard sizes will be accepted.

• The Naming Convention for the three JPEGs should be the same as the video files except with a _1, _2 or _3 at the end of the name: E02_Security_CM_1.

• An entry for photography may be entered in only one photography category, and an entry for editing may only be entered in only one editing category. However, the same story may be entered in both a Video Photography category and a Video Editing category. The only exceptions to this rule are the lighting and audio categories. In the Video Photography contest, you may submit an entry in the lighting and audio categories which you have also submitted in one other category. In the Video Editing contest, you may submit an entry in the audio category which you have also submitted in another category.

• Each entry, even if it's submitted in more than one category, must be submitted separately and named appropriately for that category. For example: If you're entering the same entry in P01 and E01, the entries must be submitted to each category and paid for separately or each category.

• Entrants must not be identified in a piece in any way (by chyron, in narration, or on-screen credit).

• Any elements not shot or created by entrant should be made clear in the project description. At least 80% of the entry must be the work of the entrant. Editors should identify all graphics or full-screen animations not created by the entrant.

• Please be careful when naming the organization for whom the work was done, as this cannot be changed after the winners are posted.

• Your contest submission can be edited on Picter until the deadline.

• The Committee will review entries for correct placement in the categories and any entry may be re-classified at the discretion of the Contest Committee and/or the Contest Judges.

• If there are fewer than five entries in a given category, the committee and/or judges may, at their discretion, retain or drop the category and place the entries in other appropriate categories.

• Please read the contest rules and entry requirements carefully and pay attention when submitting entries. The contest committee will not assume responsibility for following up with entrants on missing video files, still images or incomplete entry forms. Incomplete or incorrect submissions may result in disqualification of an entry without further notice from the contest committee.

• Winners will be posted on the WHNPA website when the contest is completed. Reminder, the top winners are expected to produce a video about their winning work to be shown at the 2024 Eyes of History® gala.

Digital Storytelling Contest

The White House News Photographers Association's Digital Storytelling Contest celebrates visual storytelling produced in multiple forms of media for digital platforms.

Eligibility & Rules

• At least one member of a story/project must meet eligibility requirements for WHNPA membership to enter the Digital Storytelling Contest. This member must be a primary producer of the story or multimedia package entered. 

• Entrants must specify in the designated "Team field"  which person did which parts of the project and roughly what percentage of the work they did. 

• All entries must have been created by Active or Life Members in good standing. If you are not currently an active member, you may join and submit your membership dues for both 2024 and 2025. Then, you may enter work completed by January 21, 2025. 

• Only videos originally produced for web-based viewing will be accepted in the WHNPA Digital Storytelling Contest. Videos originally produced and aired on TV for broadcast outlets will NOT be accepted in this contest - broadcast entries can be entered in the WHNPA Broadcast Contest.

• A video story cannot be entered in both the Broadcast contest and the Digital Storytelling contest. 

• Note: It is the entrant's responsibility to coordinate with other team members to ensure that entries are submitted to the correct contest. 

• All entries must have been published on or after January 1, 2024 through January 21, 2025.

• Entries may not be re-edited in any way after the deadline or for the purposes of submission in this contest. 

• A single piece may only be entered in one category. 

• Entrants must submit a combination of uploaded files and URLs. 

• Uploaded videos, with the exception of the "Best Multimedia Package" category, must have all credits and company branding removed from the file and uploaded to our system. See the "Contest Notes" section for more information, including specific file requirements.

• URLs will be used to link to the winning videos. It is okay for these to be on news organizations websites and include branding.

• Three images that represent your story entry must be uploaded with each entry. These images must be in the JPEG format. Still images must match the dimensions of your video files.

• Your contest submission can be edited on Picter until the deadline.

• Entrants may include video journalists, cinematographers and/or video editors. Each entry must include original content but that could come in the form of original footage and/or artful editing.

Submitting payment serves as a digital signature to the contest, I agree to the following terms and conditions:

• I am the sole owner of copyright in the Content submitted, (hereinafter the "Content") and I have, or if I am not the sole owner of copyright in the Content that I shall obtain (prior to any WHNPA award and upon notification of a pending award by WHNPA) the authority and legal capacity to enter into this agreement and to grant the rights herein stated in and to the Content.

• The Content originates with me and is not copied from another person or work.

• The Content when used by WHNPA in accordance with this agreement will not violate the rights, (including but not limited rights of copyright, moral right, publicity, privacy, trademark, or any other rights) of any person or party.

• I am an active or life WHNPA member in good standing, or I have submitted an application for active membership and have never been a WHNPA member in the past.

• The Content was created or initially published within the rules of the contests and that I was a WHNPA member at the time the Content was created or initially published.

• The Content was not previously entered in this contest.

• I shall retain copyright in the Content, or my employer shall retain copyright in the Content if it is work made for hire.

• I hereby grant to WHNPA and those acting under WHNPA's permission only the non-exclusive, perpetual, royalty free, fully paid up, irrevocable, sub-licensable, assignable, permission, in all existing and future media (including, without limitation, WHNPA authorized Internet and or social media), to use the Content for and in connection with the WHNPA Awards or other WHNPA Book, WHNPA Exhibitions, WHNPA Educational and Editorial Activities, WHNPA Advertising and WHNPA Promotions, WHNPA Sponsored or Authored Publications and Activities, and for all purposes that are ancillary to, related to, or that directly arise out of the foregoing.

• As a condition precedent to my being offered, and to my receipt of, any WHNPA award I warrant and represent that I shall disclose to WHNPA any rights granted by me herein which may be owned by my employer or another party and that I will provide to WHNPA, in writing, and within seven (7) days of WHNPA's request, TIME BEING OF THE ESSENCE, and at my own expense, such further assurances and documentation as may be legally required, and any that may be requested of WHNPA, to give full force and effect to the permissions granted by me herein, including without limitation any affirmation, confirmation, and verification of such grant as WHNPA may require or request of my employer or any other rights owner.

• In default of my identification of the rights owner and or my provision of such affirmation, confirmation, and verification in a form acceptable to WHNPA, such acceptability to be determined solely by WHNPA in its sole and absolute discretion, WHNPA may without waiver of any other or additional remedy, decline to make an award, cancel an award, or retract an award without any obligation to or liability to the proposed award recipient.

• I agree to indemnify, protect, defend and hold harmless WHNPA and its officers, directors, members, employees, and agents) for and from any and all actions, claims, demands, and proceedings and for any and all costs (including legal fees, investigatory fees, and court costs) that arise out of or in connection with any actual breach by me, default by me, or non-frivolous claim that there is a breach or default by me, of the warranties and representations and agreements I have made herein.