Important Changes for 2026 - Video Photography and Video Editing Terms and conditions

• GET YOUR ENTRIES IN AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.  DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO ENTER.  Anticipate problems and technical glitches.  If you are unsure of anything, contact the contest committee. We will NOT reopen entries after the deadline.

• Membership dues for the current year must be paid by the entry deadline in order to qualify for the contest.

• Entries can be submitted as .MOV or .MP4 files. Dimensions must be 1920 X 1080. Files must be encoded using H264.

• Still images accompanying the video files must match the dimensions of your video files.  No non-standard sizes will be accepted.

• All members of a Team entry must be Active or Life Members of the WHNPA in good standing.

• Do not list as team members anyone not involved in the shooting of an entry for videography categories or editing of an entry for editing categories.  This includes, but is not limited to: Executive Producers, Senior Producers, Assignment Editors, Reporters, Graphic Artists, Production Assistants, Audio Technicians, etc.

• Team entrants should decide ahead of time on common names for their entries.  Do not enter the same piece using different story titles and file names.

Video Photography and Video Editing Eligibility

• All entries must have been created and aired from January 22, 2025 through December 31, 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 2025 and 2026. Then, you may enter work completed by December 31, 2025. 

• Membership dues for the current year must be paid by the entry deadline in order to qualify for the contest.

• 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.  Each team member must list, pay for and upload the entry to their own individual entry form and indicate that it is a team entry

• All members of a Team entry must be Active or Life Members of the WHNPA in good standing.

• The entry deadline is February 8, 2026

• 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, in whole or in part, 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.  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.

Entry Rules and Procedures

• 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 the disqualification of an entry without further notice from the contest committee..

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

• Story title should be brief, between two and four words maximum. This is the title that will be used for publishing award winners.  It SHOULD NOT be the same as the file name (eg E02_Security_CM).

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

• Entries can be submitted as .MOV or .MP4 files. Dimensions must be 1920 X 1080. 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.

• 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.  For example:  E02_Security_CM_1.

• Team entries must contain initials of all entrants and the word "TEAM" at the end of the file name on both the entry and the three jpegs.  For example:  E02_Security_CM_FB_TEAM.

• Do not list as team members anyone not involved in the shooting of an entry for videography categories or editing of an entry for editing categories.  This includes, but is not limited to: Executive Producers, Senior Producers, Assignment Editors, Reporters, Graphic Artists, Production Assistants, Audio Technicians, etc.

• Team entrants should decide ahead of time on common names for their entries.  Do not enter the same piece using different story titles and file names.

• Please keep your story titles short!

• 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 photography category and an editing category. The only exceptions to this rule are the lighting and audio categories. In the Photography contest, you may submit an entry in the lighting and audio categories which you have also submitted in one other category. In the 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 and paid for separately and labeled appropriately for each category.

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

• Please provide a written description of any elements not shot or created by entrant. 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.

• Any piece that is entered in the Digital Storytelling Contest may NOT also be entered in this contest, and vice versa.

• 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 2026 Eyes of History® gala.

Contest Notes

• 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.

• Videographer and Editor of the Year will be chosen from among first place winners in their respective divisions upon review by the judges of each entrant's entire portfolio of entries in the division.

• 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.

Digital Storytelling Contest - Rules and Categories

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 2025 and 2026. Then, you may enter work completed by January 21, 2026. 

• 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 22, 2025 through December 31, 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.

Contest Notes

The Digital Storytelling Committee reserves the right to move entries into more appropriate categories - if the entrant agrees - or disqualify entries they feel don't abide by the rules or meet the standards set forth in the bylaws of the WHNPA. Disqualified entries are not eligible for a refund. Judges may also choose not to award a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place if there are not enough qualified entries per category. Ultimately, we want to create a fair contest that recognizes the best work in our field.