Nominations are now open for the
Shorthand Awards...

Cast your votes now!

Let's celebrate your hard work this year

We want to invite all of you to look back on the amazing stories created using Shorthand in 2017. Whether you want to nominate yourself, a colleague, or simply spread the love for a story that has really stuck with you - we want to hear from you.

Last year, we ran our first Shorthand Awards and received over 100 entries from the likes of BBC News, Fairfax Media, WWF and Trinity Mirror.

This year, we've got five categories. Here they are, along with a little info on what we're on the lookout for:

  • BEST USE OF INTERACTIVITY 
    Creative use of Shorthand's features to add movement, colour and reader participation all while enhancing the narrative.
  • MOST VISUALLY COMPELLING STORY 
    This one will have its readers hooked with its considered use of imagery, videos and/or design.
  • THE COURAGEOUS NEWCOMER 
    A fresh user to Shorthand jumping in feet first to raise awareness about a difficult issue or breaking the mould in storytelling with their use of features.
  • COMMUNICATION WITH A DIFFERENCE   
    Geared towards celebrating brands, marketers or non-profits using Shorthand to breathe new life into their information.
  • MOST CONSISTENT PERFORMER AWARD 
    Judged internally at Shorthand, we'll be taking into account metrics, such as audience engagement and time on page, use of features and overall editorial flow across stories.

We've got a stellar line-up of judges joining our esteemed panel to give us a hand - all versed in journalism, communication and digital storytelling, including:

  • Scott Manson, director of content at OglivyOne UK
  • Jora Gill, chief digital officer at The Economist & non-executive board member at Quality Care Commission
  • Sasha Koren, editor of the mobile innovation lab at The Guardian
  • Jonathan Albright, research director at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University & faculty associate at Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University
  • Vin Ray, founding director of the BBC college of Journalism & chair of the board of trustees at Ockenden International
  • Charley Sutton, deputy head of editorial at Barcroft Media
  • Robb Montgomery, author & teacher specialising in mobile journalism

We've got some great prizes to give away too, including branded themes, custom development time and bubbly.

Nominations for the Shorthand Awards deadline has now passed and was Monday 15th January 2018. We will be announcing the winners soon.

While we collect the entries, let's take a look back at last year's winners...

BEST USE OF INTERACTIVITY

The Mountains Moved, by Stuff.nz.co

The Mountains Moved
by Stuff.co.nz

The judges praised this story for the way it "employs mixed media effectively".

"Still images, gifs, video and interactive animations all contribute to a wholistic and rich understanding of how an earthquake shaped a region," the judges continued.

"The deliberate use of each media to unlock a key component of the story made it a standout article. Specifically, the scroll over functionality, which caused a fissure in the road."

The Mountains Moved, by Stuff.nz.co
Black Gold by NZ Herald

MOST VISUALLY COMPELLING

Black Gold by NZ Herald

Black Gold
by NZ Herald

The judges commented on the way the narrative "made powerful imagery the centerpiece of the story".

"Without reading any words, a user would deduce the narrative journey of the story from solely the images. And this is an impressive feat."

Then, they added: "The visuals are strong and used with purpose from start to finish, and the visually striking 'supply' and 'demand' images immediately hook you into the story.

"Selective editing and real consideration for user experience is critical for successful long-form multimedia stories."

BEST DESIGN

Aberfan by BBC News

Aberfan
by BBC News

Judges praised the the way this story combined "powerful visuals with great copy in a clean and effective package".

"The timestamps on each section keeps the story anchored in the hours following the disaster, while the overall narrative offers context and arresting accounts of human endurance."

Aberfan by BBC News
Driven by love by Mercy Corps

SHORTHAND'S STANDOUT STORY

Driven by love by Mercy Corps

Driven by love
by Mercy Corps

The Shorthand team judging this category was struck by the powerful introduction to the narrative, which combines a heartbreaking narrative with powerful photography of the family.

"The story continues to engage the reader with a well-structured narrative, context-rich interactives and compelling video backgrounds, that truly makes the most of the visual format."

"Mercy Corps' 'Driven by Love' is one of the most powerful Shorthand stories we’ve come across. It uses the unique features of Shorthand to kindle emotion and communicate statistics in a beautiful way. It also looks fantastic on mobile."