ONA announces 137 finalists in the 2021 Online Journalism Awards

WASHINGTON, Sept. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Online News Association (ONA) is honored to share the finalists for the 2021 Online Journalism Awards (OJAs). Winners will be announced on Oct. 15.

In 2021, the Online Journalism Awards feature 45 prizes across 21 categories. ONA’s Awards and Recognition Committee introduced two new categories and additional changes to reimagine or update existing ones based on community feedback and changes in the industry:

• Topical Reporting: Pandemic Coverage: This new award honors a single story or a portfolio that focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic and addresses aspects such as science, public health, policy, lifestyle and economic impact.
• Excellence in Social Justice Reporting: This new award honors journalism that highlights systemic inequities encountered by historically marginalized communities, including coverage of social movements, racial justice, migration, access to education, voting rights and more.
• Student Journalism Award: This award reimagines recognition for student work with two subcategories: Student Portfolio and Student Team Portfolio.
• Breaking News: This award has been streamlined with two subcategories for newsroom size: Small/Medium and Large. It previously included separate subcategories for Small, Medium and Large newsrooms.

Five honors come with a total of $40,000 in prize money, thanks to generous support from SmartNews, McKinsey Publishing, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and The University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communications. These awards recognize general excellence, engaged journalism, immersive storytelling, public service and climate change reporting.

A diverse group of 114 digital media professionals representing 20 countries teamed up to screen 1,179 entries—the largest pool of entries the competition has seen since it was established in 1999. More than 60 judges deliberated to determine finalists and winners.

See the full list of 2021 Online Journalism Awards finalists for excellence in newsletters, collaboration and partnerships, pandemic coverage, audio digital storytelling and 17 more categories.

Contact: Karolle Rabarison, Director of Communications, karolle@journalists.org