Democracy's Watchdogs - 2024 Student Awards

Student award for investigative journalism 2024

Entries are now open for Democracy’s Watchdogs’ 2024 award for student investigative journalism.

Assignment work or stories produced outside of university studies can be submitted. Individual and group entries will be accepted.

All stories must have been published in 2024.

The award is open to undergraduate and postgraduate journalism students at Australian and New Zealand universities. The deadline for entries is midnight, December 1.

The winner will receive $1000 and an engraved trophy. Highly commended certificates will be presented to the finalists.

This year there are no categories, just an overall winner. Stories can be text, video, multimedia, podcast, or photos.

The stories must be original, reveal information that is in the public interest, adhere to normal journalistic attribution and comply with the MEAA code of ethics. Stories generated by AI will not be judged.

Students should enter the awards using the online application form below.

Key dates:

Opening date for entries: Now

Deadline for entries: Midnight, December 1

Finalists announced: December 10

Winner announced: December 17

Entry Details:

How to enter: Entrants are required to complete the online application form on this page. They should use this form to submit their entry. Students may provide URLs, file sharing and streaming platforms that link to their entry. Reminder: entries will not be accepted after midnight on December 1, 2024.

Stories: Written and multimedia entries can be any length. Videos and podcasts have no time limits.

Group entries: The entry should be submitted once only by one member on behalf of the group. The names of each member of the group should be listed on the online application form on this page. Members of the group are not permitted to submit the same work as an individual entry.

Declaration: Students must declare on the online application form that the story is their original work and that they have complied with copyright requirements, as well as the MEAA code of ethics.

Assignments or stories that build on assignments will be accepted, but any input or contribution by lecturers, classmates, journalists or others must be clearly detailed on the online form.

Judging: The criteria for judging will include, but not be limited to, newsworthiness, originality, public interest, research, content, ethics, creativity, possible impact and the grit and determination demonstrated by the student.

Final judging will be by Jill Baker, a Walkley award-winning journalist, author and former editor of The Sunday Age and Sunday Herald Sun; Michael Smith OAM, president of Democracy’s Watchdogs and a former editor of The Age; and Dr Bill Birnbauer, founder and CEO of Democracy’s Watchdogs and a former award-winning senior journalist and academic. The judges’ decisions are final.

Please direct any questions to bill@democracyswatchdogs.org

Honour Roll

Democracy’s Watchdogs has hosted an annual award for the best investigative stories by student journalists since 2020. We proudly foster journalism that enhances our democratic processes and promotes excellence in tomorrow’s journalists. Below are the winners of our award.