Rubrics for Entry Ratings
Video judges: Please scroll down to the video rubrics.
MIPA Contest Entry Rating Rubric for News Writing, Design, Photo, Social Media & Yearbook Categories
Read the category requirements AND judging criteria carefully. Video judges, please also note information below on providing comments in the Judges Notes field.
Do NOT dramatically reduce the rating because of an occasional error or for upholding a position with which you might personally disagree.
Ratings help you sort through entries and they help MIPA and our advisers as an educational tool. Please rate all entries.
A rating of 1 should be given to entries that:
VIOLATE MIPA'S COPYRIGHT & PLAGIARISM POLICY or raise severe ethical questions
please don't rate an entry with this rating without consulting the judging chair
A rating of 2 should be given to entries that:
DO NOT FIT CORE, ESSENTIAL CATEGORY REQUIREMENTS
A rating of 3 or 4 should be given to entries that:
NEED IMPROVEMENT, observing few category qualities
fall far below all other submissions in the category
have major lapses in application of journalistic/media conventions
A rating of 5 or 6 should be given to entries that:
are FAIR, having met 50-69% of the category criteria
are considered below average
contain limited but notable lapses in journalistic conventions
A rating of 7 or 8 should be given to entries that:
are GOOD, having met 70-85% of the category criteria
are slightly better than average for the category
contain only minor lapses of journalistic/media conventions
A rating of 9 should be given to entries that:
are ACCOMPLISHED, having met at least 86-94% of the criteria
show a flair/are above average; are considered solid or accomplished
demonstrate a strong application of journalistic/media conventions
A rating of 10 should be given to entries that:
are EXEMPLARY, having met 95% or more of the category criteria
rise far above all others in the category to an exceptional level/are considered exemplary
demonstrate a mastery of journalistic conventions
would stand out as exceptional work in any publication. 10s have a “WOW” factor.
Video Judges:
If you are judging video categories, we ask that you complete the Judge Notes field with basic comments about each entry. Please use the below format as a guide.
Video judges, please also consult our Video Best Practices
Make a copy of the Video Judging rubric as a Google Document
Video Journalism (VJ) and Video Production (VP) Categories
Please provide an overall rating using the rubric above and some basics comments in each of these areas:
Category Requirements/Journalism: How well does the entry fulfill the specific the requirements of the category? For journalistic entries, does the entry display newsworthiness? Is there a clear angle/focus? Free from bias? Does it follow best practices for broadcast writing? Are interviews compelling? Is the subject of interest for a school audience? See MIPA Video Best Practices
Audio: Is it clear? Is there any audio distortion? Was the appropriate mic used? Is the mic properly placed? Is there a “popping” sound from the reporter? Does the audio fit the action/pace of the video? Is the volume consistent?
Camerawork: Is there obvious use of a tripod or is the video shaky? If no tripod was used, was it appropriate to shoot handheld? Is the color consistent? Have the shots been white-balanced? Are there different angles for a variety of shots? Are the shots framed well without cutting out important information? Do the shots have good lighting? Do shots “cross the line/axis”?
Editing: Is there an overuse of transitions? Does the piece have a good pace & flow? Are there any errors in continuity and/or screen direction? Are there any lagging lulls and/or jump cuts? Are any of your shots/scenes unnecessary?
Graphics: Is the text a good size, good color, and within the safe title area? Does the text appear long enough for the audience to read? Does the graphic(s) have any spelling/grammar errors?
Please copy and paste into the Judge Notes field and add your notes:
CATEGORY REQUIREMENTS/REPORTING:
AUDIO:
CAMERAWORK:
EDITING:
GRAPHICS:
At a minimum, appropriate comments might include one of the following descriptors taken from the overall rubric, or a rating from 1-10 (where 10 is best):
Needs Improvement
Fair
Good
Accomplished
Exemplary
Video Talent (VT) Categories
Please provide an overall rating using the rubric above and some basics comments in each of these areas:
RATE OF SPEECH: Do you talk too fast/slow?
COMMUNICATION OF EMOTION: Do you use voice fluctuation? Do you have emotion in your voice? Are you monotone?
SINCERITY: Do you come across as being genuine?
NATURALNESS: Do we enjoy listening to you? Does it sound like you know what you’re doing?
CREDIBILITY: Does it sound like you know what you’re talking about?
PROFESSIONAL ATTIRE: Are you dressed appropriately? Tuxedos and prom dresses aren’t necessary, but t-shirts and jeans aren’t appropriate either.
TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS: While we don’t want to hold poor technical issues (e.g. camerawork, audio, graphic mistakes) against the talent, but the talent also shouldn’t include many clips that have technical issues. When comparing similar compilations, the technical quality may still be a factor.
Please copy and paste into the Judge Notes field and add your notes:
RATE OF SPEECH:
COMMUNICATION OF EMOTION:
SINCERITY:
NATURALNESS:
CREDIBILITY:
PROFESSIONAL ATTIRE:
TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS:
At a minimum, appropriate comments might include one of the following descriptors taken from the overall rubric, or a rating from 1-10 (where 10 is best):
Needs Improvement
Fair
Good
Accomplished
Exemplary