ASCE Excellence in Journalism Award

Rules

1. The award may be presented to one or more nominees.  Honorable Mention awards may also be presented.  The award is presented at ASCE's Outstanding Projects And Leaders (OPAL) Awards Gala.
2. The award selection committee shall recommend to the Executive Committee of the ASCE Board of Direction for final approval a recipient who is judged superior based on how well they a) fairly cover all sides of the civil engineering project or issue; b) accurately describe the civil engineering project or issue; c) effectively explain how the project or outcome of the issue benefits the community or region; d) clearly show the civil engineer's role; e) include the most knowledgeable civil engineering experts; and f) advance public knowledge and understanding of the civil engineering profession and its issues.
3. The award includes a trophy and cash honorarium which shall be sufficient to reimburse travel expenses to attend the OPAL Awards Gala in order to receive the award in person.  The award is self-supporting.  Allowable expenses are funded from an endowment created by contributions.
4. The award encourages participation by ASCE Sections and Branches in the form of nomination submission and the sponsorship of local awards programs. Individual members can also submit nominations, and journalists, editors and producers may nominate themselves or their colleagues.
5. Entries should be submitted via the required nomination and submission form and should be sent to the ASCE Media Relations Department. The nomination and submission form will open on August 29. All entries are due by October 1.
6. The award honors stories from general-interest, English-language, non-trade related regional and national newspapers, magazines, electronic/Web-based news outlets, and radio and television stations.
7. The story must appear in the twelve-month period ending  August 1 of the year of award.
8. If a story is co-authored or co-produced, at least one of the reporters must be a full time journalist.
9. The award selection committee shall be composed of one representative from each of the following standing society committees as designated by their respective committee chair:  Committee on Advancing the Profession, Committee on Education, Committee on Technical Advancement, Member Communities Committee, and Public Policy Committee.  The award selection committee shall also include one representative from each of the following standing strategic initiatives committees as designated by their respective committee chair:  Committee for America's Infrastructure, Committee on Sustainability, and Raise the Bar Committee.
10. The chair of the award selection committee shall be either the designated representative from the Committee for America's Infrastructure or the designated representative from Raise the Bar Committee, whoever has served on the award selection committee for the longer period; the representative who is not the Chair shall serve as the Vice Chair.
11. Committee representatives shall serve two-year overlapping terms.