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Each year, SEJ’s Awards for Reporting on the Environment draws hundreds of entries from across the U.S. and around the world. Screeners play a key role in upholding the integrity of the awards by helping to identify the strongest submissions in each category.
All individuals appointed as screeners must either be news professionals or journalism educators; or individuals with deep editorial expertise and experience, as determined by the SEJ Awards Committee. SEJ membership is not required. All screeners must review and comply with the SEJ Awards Rules and act with fairness, objectivity and integrity.
What Screeners Do
- Each category is assigned two screeners, who independently review entries using Submittable, SEJ’s awards submissions platform.
- Screeners mark each entry: Yes, No or Maybe.
- The screening goal is to narrow the field to 35–40 entries per category for final judging.
If both screeners mark an entry No, it will not proceed to judging. If more than 40 remain, SEJ staff will work with screening pairs to reduce the list.
Timeline
- Screening begins September 2025 and continues through early November.
- Categories may receive 100+ entries. Screeners should expect to review entries efficiently over four to six weeks.
Who Should Apply
We welcome current or former:
- Journalists (freelance, staff, or retired)
- Journalism educators and newsroom trainers
- Professionals with equivalent editorial expertise
SEJ membership is not required. Screeners must agree to review in accordance with SEJ’s Awards Rules and judging criteria.
Ideal screener qualities and skills include:
- Sound editorial judgment and deep knowledge of journalistic standards
- Fairness and objectivity across topics, platforms, and publication sizes
- Familiarity with environmental issues and journalism
- Comfort using Submittable (training and guidance can be provided)
Commitment to Diversity
SEJ encourages screeners to apply their editorial judgment to:
- Underrepresented and under-reported communities and geographies
- Undercovered environmental topics
- Geographic, stylistic, and newsroom-size diversity
Rules & Expectations
- Screeners may enter the SEJ Awards, but not in a category they’re screening.
- Each screener must review all entries in their assigned category.
- Recusal is required for any entry where there’s a conflict of interest.
- Entries may exceed the story cap if same-day sidebars are grouped. Supplemental materials, such as entry summary cover letters, are for context only and should not be considered.
- All entries must include at least one piece published or aired between May 1, 2024, and July 31, 2025.
- Large/small newsroom is based on the original publisher or broadcaster.
How Screening Works Via Submittable
- SEJ will assign screeners to their category in Submittable.
- Each entry has a submission panel (left) and a review panel (right).
- To begin, click “My Review,” then your name, and use the Review tab if needed.
- Mark each entry as Yes, No or Maybe and use the Notes field for optional comments.
- Drafts can be saved and edited until final submission.
- If additional cuts are needed after initial screening, SEJ will facilitate a brief review round with the screeners.
Please complete the contact form with any questions and refer fellow members or colleagues to the interest form here.
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