BetterBNC

Place Name: First Place
Contestant Name: Humboldt State - El Lenador
Entry Title: Local Nigerian reggae musician Ju Drum uses his platform for social justice message
Entry Credit: Karina Ramos Villalobos
Judge Comment: Not only did the author find a very interesting profile subject; this piece was well-sourced and it packed in a lot of interesting details without being overwritten. I loved the lede and the juxtaposition of the drummer finding the melody in quiet meditation. Can't wait to read more from this writer — who also took some lovely photos to accompany this piece!

Place Name: Second Place
Contestant Name: Occidental College
Entry Title: Oxy Arts’ new exhibition “Encoding Futures” presents interactive art as a call to action
Entry Credit: Emma Cho
Judge Comment: This is a well-structured news story with solid quotes from multiple sources. Be thoughtful in crafting a lede. Either the details of the plant installation or the robot would have made for a stronger lede. The current lede is a fine nut graph, but these are really interesting pieces that would grab the reader and not let them go.

Place Name: Third Place
Contestant Name: California Lutheran University
Entry Title: Nomie!’s debut album ‘Seven’ is a ‘sacred’ work
Entry Credit: Whitaker Proll-Clark
Judge Comment: This story flowed nicely but the current lede was really the nut graph. The ideas explored at the end, particularly the inspiration for the album, could have been a strong place to start and allowed the author to carry that thread through the piece.

Competition Comment: General advice: When you're writing on arts and entertainment, you need to draw the reader in with a great lede. This subject area allows you to use an anecdote, to paint a picture, to hook that reader into the story you're going to share. If you find yourself starting with the basic facts, make that your nut graph and dig deeper. Also, I know it's tempting, but stay away from the question lede. It works maybe 1 out of every 250 times.

Best Arts and Entertainment Story ( Less than 15,000 Students)Back