Television Rules and Instructions - Anson Jones Awards

Each year, TMA honors award-winning Texas general-interest news media with the Anson Jones, MD, Awards. Winners receive $1,000 and a plaque. Citation of Merit winners receive $250 and a certificate. The competition is free to enter, so Texas television reporters, photojournalists, editors and producers, enter your winning work today.    

Step One:

Pick the category that best fits your winning entry. You produce TV news stories, so choose one of these (or if you're not in television, use your web browser to go back to the main Anson Jones page to find your correct media category):

• Large-Market Television. These include news stories produced by television stations in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, or Austin. These are brief stories;
• Small-Market Television. These are news stories produced by television stations in all Texas smaller markets. These are brief stories;
• In-Depth Television news entries. These are longer-format television news entries from all Texas markets. This category includes any of these:
• Multi-part series; 
• Long-format stories exceeding 4 minutes in duration; or
• Any interview or talk-show format entries.   

Step Two: Read and follow this section carefully (Rules/Deadlines)

• Entries must be RECEIVED in the TMA offices by Jan. 15 each year.
• Material must be published or broadcast between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 the previous year.
•  If you're entering tapes or discs, you must submit FIVE copies/dubs of each entry. (We require five because we send entries to 5 judges in different locations.)
•  For hard-copies of entries, submit one completed entry form per each copy/dub of an entry (photocopies are ok). That's FIVE entry forms total (remember we ship your entry to 5 judges in different places).
•  Is your story posted online? Electronic copies and online URLs are acceptable. May we post your entry on YouTube for our judges to access? Let us know. 
• Individual entrants may submit up to three articles/stories or series per year.
• Enter the correct category! Be careful to note length/duration of your work and choose accordingly.
• No deadline extensions can be granted. Entries will not be returned.
• If a team contributed to an entry, please list a maximum of four contributor names.
• TMA and its judges reserve the right to disqualify any entries not meeting eligibility requirements.
• Download and print the official entry form to accompany all entries (photocopies are acceptable, as are electronic entries).
• TMA charges no fee to enter TMA's Anson Jones, MD, Awards competition, however all entry, duplication and shipping costs are the responsibility of each entrant. Multiple entries may be shipped together in one box/envelope.

Special Television Entry Rules 

•  If you are sending us CDs, DVDs or VHS tapes, PLEASE submit five separate identical dubs of each entry, on separate tapes, CDs or DVDs. (Remember, we send your entries to judges across the country.) Electronic entries are acceptable as well, online or via web-based delivery (YouSendIt).
• A fully-completed copy of the entry form must accompany every broadcast entry dub.
• Write the total run time for your entry on the entry form.
• All broadcast entries must include a brief summary on the entry form.
• All in-depth television entries must include the complete script.
• "Air checks" (including intro and tag) are not required, however they are recommended. If that's not possible, consider submitting at least the story's intro script as it aired, regardless of the story's length. (Judges want to see all elements of your story.)

Who can enter?

You are eligible to enter IF:

• You are general-interest news media based in Texas and intended primarily for a Texas public audience;
• Your entry first aired between Jan. 1 - Dec. 31 this year, for January’s competition deadline;
• You don’t send more than three entries this year. Entries may be the work of an individual or the collective effort of a publication or station. An individual (a person) may enter up to three unrelated articles/stories, or series ("entries"). Therefore a person (entrant) may have his or her name on a maximum of three entries submitted to TMA in a given year;
• You are not a "trade publication" that is not intended for a general public audience;
• You are not in the medical profession, medical association, etc. or other health-related organization that relays health information targeted to the medical profession or allied professions; and
• Your entry is not a public service announcement, promotional spot or marketing effort.
  

Judging Criteria – What do we look for?

Entries are judged on the basis of accuracy, significance, quality, public interest, and impact. Judges will name one winner and one citation of merit winner per category, unless the judges determine no entries represent excellence in a given category. Judges may also choose to award a tie. Judging will be performed by Texas Medical Association physicians and other members of TMA's Council on Health Promotion, and respected journalists from the news publishing and broadcast fields. Final winners are determined by the TMA Council on Health Promotion. TMA is not responsible for lost or damaged entries.