Thank you for entering the 2022 AFGE Labor Communications Awards contest! Please review the contest rules and information before submitting your entry.
Fill out the Submission FormCONTEST CATEGORIES
The 2022 AFGE Labor Communications Awards contest categories are listed under the four genres below. Within each category entrants can submit up to two pieces.
General Communications
- Website
- Print Publication (Locals)
- Print Publication (Councils/Caucuses/Districts)
- Single Issue Publication/Collateral (Locals)
- Single Issue Publication/Collateral (Councils/Caucuses/Districts)
- Best News Interview/Media Mention
- Best Placed Letter to the Editor/Op-ed
Visual Communications
- Best Photograph, Original Cartoon, Graphic
- Best Photo Collage
Writing
- Best News Story
- Best Feature Story
Electronic Media
- Best Use of Social Media
- Best Issues/Advocacy, Education/Training, Promotional Video
CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS
GENERAL COMMUNICATIONS
Website: Websites are judged as they exist at the time of judging. Entries should have a general layout that is easy to navigate with good use of space, visually appealing and have a professional appearance. Entries should also include basic information about the union, content related to representation, organizing, and mobilization efforts and how members can contact their union leaders.
Print Publication (Locals): This category is specifically for entries from AFGE locals. Entries should be publications designed, written and published periodically to provide timely information to target audiences while supporting the union's overall objectives. Eligible entries include newsletters and/or newspapers produced by the entrant.
Print Publication (Councils/Caucuses/Districts): This category is specifically for entries from AFGE councils, caucuses and/or districts. Entries should be publications designed, written and published periodically to provide timely information to target audiences while supporting the union's overall objectives. Eligible entries include newsletters and/or newspapers produced by the entrant.
Single Issue Publication/Collateral (Locals): This category is specifically for entries from AFGE locals. Entries should include communications designed to solicit a specific, immediate response from the target audience. Eligible items include booklets or brochures used to promote organizing or legislative activities, calendars, flyers/posters, books commemorating anniversaries, and similar publications. Items are judged by quality and presentation, including content, clarity, style and originality.
Single Issue Publication/Collateral (Councils/Caucuses/Districts): This category is specifically for entries from AFGE councils, caucuses and/or districts. Entries should include communications designed to solicit a specific, immediate response from the target audience. Eligible items include booklets or brochures used to promote organizing or legislative activities, calendars, flyers/posters, books commemorating anniversaries, and similar publications. Items are judged by quality and presentation, including content, clarity, style and originality.
Best News Interview/Media Mention: Entries should demonstrate the effective use of a print, digital, broadcast, or radio news interview or media mention to highlight a labor union issue, union, or union campaign. Entries should feature a member(s) of the submitting local, council, district or caucus. Judges consider the entry’s quality, content and effectiveness.
Best Placed Letter to the Editor/Op-ed: Entries should demonstrate the effective use of a published letter to the editor or op-ed to highlight a labor union issue, union, or union campaign. Entries must be written by a member(s) of the submitting local, council, district or caucus. Judges consider the entry’s quality, content and effectiveness.
VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS
Best Photograph, Original Cartoon, Graphic: Photos, original cartoons and/or graphics can be featured in numerous platforms, including websites, social media pages, newsletters and email alerts. Entries in this category should be original pieces that demonstrate AFGE members in action, illustrate an issue and/or help convey a story.
Best Photo Collage: Photo collages can be featured in numerous platforms, including websites, social media pages, newsletters and email alerts. Entries in this category should be original pieces that demonstrate AFGE members in action, illustrate an issue and help convey a story. Photos should showcase best practices in composition, lighting, and overall creativity. Each entry must contain at least three individual photographs displayed together or in a sequence.
WRITING
Best News Story: Entries should feature active, timely coverage of issues or events in a way that engages the reader and connects to an issue impacting the labor movement. Entries should be clearly written, easily understood by a general audience, and distributed in a newsletter, website, blog post or email news/action alert developed by the entrant. Entries will be judged on reporting, clarity and significance.
Best Feature Story: Entries should highlight human-interest coverage. They should contain compelling content, storytelling and writing that engages the reader and connects to an issue impacting the labor movement. Entries should be clearly written, easily understood by a general audience, and distributed in a newsletter, website, blog post or email news/action alert developed by the entrant.
ELECTRONIC MEDIA
Best Use of Social Media: Social media platforms have transformed how quickly we can communicate with our membership, discuss ideas and share content. Submissions for this category should highlight how the entrant uses Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other social media platform to engage audiences, create conversations around key issues and/or promote content.
Best Issues/Advocacy, Education/Training, Promotional Video: Videos are a unique way to capture stories and use a multitude of elements to highlight an issue. Entries in the category must be original and pertain to issues impacting the labor movement. Additional parameters are detailed below.
Issue/Advocacy Video
Entries should follow the general qualities of documentary storytelling, rather than public relations or promotional principles, and may focus on organizing, political issues or labor history, for example. Videos that are related to each other and identified as part of a series are eligible as one entry.
Promotional Video
Entries can be promotional, advocacy or public service announcements that promote a union, organized labor issues, or a viewpoint relevant to the lives and concerns of workers. Videos that are related to each other and identified as part of a series are eligible as one entry.
Education and Training Video
Entries must have been created to be part of a training, educational curriculum or an event — and meant to serve a defined learning purpose related to organized labor and workers. The intended audience can be K-12, post-secondary, adult education; volunteer or employee education; or teachers and instructors (such as train-the-trainer programs).
CONTEST RULES
CONTENT
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Each submission must be original work created by a member or staffer of the submitting local/council/caucus/district. Entries may not include copyrighted material, including images and music, without the express written consent of the copyright holder, which must be submitted with the entry.
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Each entry should reflect the local/council/caucus/district's efforts in engaging their membership in organizing, labor education, legislative action, representation and/or other mobilization efforts.
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Creativity counts! Submissions will be judged on quality, originality, engagement (social media category), and relevancy to the labor movement.
SUBMISSION
To submit your entries please visit www.afge.org/commscontest. All contest materials must be entered online. On the contest site you will find contest guidelines and an online form to submit your entries. You must have a username and password for the AFGE.org site to access the contest web page. Entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET, Friday, March 4. 2022.
All winners will be notified via email by Monday, April 4, 2022.
From all the winners of the various categories, one will be selected to receive the top award – the Clyde M. Webber Award for excellence in serving AFGE members through labor communications.
Additionally, this year we are excited to introduce the AFGE Labor Communications Members’ Choice Award. Once the submission deadline closes, contest judges will select a pool of entries to be judged for the award. AFGE members will have the chance to vote on which member-created communication piece should be crowned the members’ choice. Be on the lookout for the Members’ Choice Award contest in March 2022.
Winners will be announced, and awards distributed at the AFGE 42nd National Convention in Orlando, FL. Entrants need not be present to win.
If you have any questions about the contest, please contact Chelsea Bland at 202-777-3079 or by email at [email protected].
