Photojournalism Competition: What It Is, Where It’s Run and How It’s Judged

A press-photography competition in which each entrant submits news photographs, usually with captions, that tell a true story in a single frame.

Photojournalism is a solo item in which an entrant produces news photographs the way a newspaper or school paper would: images that report an event or situation truthfully, with a caption that tells the reader who, what, where and when. It is judged on the finished pictures rather than performed, and in the scheme that uses it most heavily it is scored out of 100.

A round normally gives the entrant a theme or an assignment and a fixed window to shoot and submit work. In the national schools press circuit it runs in both English and Filipino, because the captions are written in the chosen language, at Elementary (Grades 1 to 6) and Secondary (Grades 7 to 12) level, with one contestant per school per category.

A strong entry is a clear, well-framed photograph with an obvious subject and a moment that carries the story, supported by an accurate, concise caption. Technical competence matters, but a sharp picture of nothing in particular loses to a slightly imperfect picture that shows something real.

Organisers run it because it widens a school journalism programme beyond writing. It teaches students that a photograph is evidence, so staging, heavy editing and invented captions are treated as breaches of journalistic ethics, not clever tricks.

Where Photojournalism is run

The clearest use in the data is a national schools press conference in the Philippines, where Photojournalism is one of the individual contests held at every level from school to national. Press-photography categories also appear in school, college and amateur journalism and photography contests elsewhere, though the rules on theme, editing and caption length differ from event to event.

• Philippines

Key facts

• Individual entry, open to boys and girls alike.
• Marked out of 100 in the national schools circuit; the template carries no printed breakdown for this item, so none is shown here.
• Runs in English and Filipino (the language of the caption), at Elementary (Grades 1 to 6) and Secondary (Grades 7 to 12) level.
• Judged on the submitted photographs and captions; the template sets no stage time limit.
• Differs from art or on-the-spot photography: the picture must report something true, not simply look attractive.

On eTalenter, Photojournalism is filed under Multimedia and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.

Across the templates that use it, Photojournalism is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 100.

What judges look at in Photojournalism

What a Photojournalism panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:

• News value: the photograph should show an event, person or situation worth reporting, with one clear subject and a moment that carries the story.
• Composition and technical quality: framing, focus, exposure and timing. Judges forgive small flaws in a strong moment but not a muddled frame.
• Caption accuracy: names, place, date and action must be right and written plainly in the chosen language. A vague or wrong caption costs marks.
• Honesty and ethics: staged scenes, misleading crops, heavy editing or borrowed images are the quickest way to lose marks.
• Storytelling in one frame: the picture should be understood without the reader needing a paragraph of explanation.
• Language accuracy: spelling, grammar and tone of the caption in English or Filipino.

Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Photojournalism under Scoring Setup, or start from the judge scoring and tabulation guide.

How to prepare for Photojournalism

How entrants and their teachers usually get Photojournalism right on the day:

• Study the news photographs in a school or local paper and note what makes the best ones work: one subject, a clear moment, a caption that adds facts.
• Practise shooting to a brief: pick a theme such as a school event or a market morning and come back with three usable frames in thirty minutes.
• Shoot more than you need and edit hard. Submit the frame with the clearest story, not the one you like most.
• Write the caption straight away while you remember the details, and check every name and spelling before you submit.
• Avoid staging or posing. Wait for the moment, and keep any adjustments limited to what the event rules allow.
• Learn the basics of your camera or phone: steady your hands, watch the light and background, and keep the subject sharp.
• Practise captions in both languages if the event offers both, since the phrasing differs.
• After a lost round, ask for feedback by area: weak news value, poor framing and a loose caption are the usual causes.

Frequently asked questions

Is Photojournalism judged individually or as a team?

Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.

Is Photojournalism the same as photography?

Not quite. Photography contests can reward any attractive picture, while photojournalism rewards a true, newsworthy picture with an accurate caption and honest handling.

How is Photojournalism marked?

It is marked out of 100 in the national schools circuit. The template does not print a breakdown for this item, so an organiser should publish their own score sheet before the day.

Can entrants edit or stage their photographs?

Staging is against journalistic ethics, and editing is normally limited to basic corrections. The event rules say exactly what is allowed, so organisers should state it in advance.

Is it judged individually or as a team?

Individually. Each school sends one contestant per category and language.

Want the full judging picture? Read the judge scoring and tabulation guide, or browse every multimedia competition item.