Wanted: The best in consumer journalism

The National Press Club journalism contest is looking for the best consumer journalism in the categories of newspapers, periodicals and broadcast.

The periodical competition includes magazines, journals, newsletters and online reporting, and broadcast spans network, syndicates, cable and broadcast TV and radio stations.

These awards recognize excellence in reporting on consumer topics, with a special emphasis on pieces that illuminate solutions or strategies that prompt action by consumers, the community, government or an individual.

Entries can be a single article or broadcast or a series of related articles or broadcasts that will be judged as a unit. If the entry is a continuing column, no more than five examples should be submitted. Include a letter detailing how the piece or series resulted in action by consumers, government, the community or an individual. The deadline for entries is April 1.

Last year, Michael Berens and Ken Armstrong of The Seattle Times won the award for consumer journalism for newspapers for their exhaustive series called "Methadone and the Politics of Pain."

In other consumer journalism categories, Reuters won for its look at the complex subject of shell corporations. In broadcast, KOVR-TV of West Sacramento, Calif., won for its look at cheating at Wal-Mart.

The prize for each category is a $750 award. For more information, click here.

The Club's journalism contest also includes awards for news photos, breaking news, online reporting, regional reporting on Washington, international coverage, consumer reporting and newsletter journalism. It also includes a group of awards for areas as diverse as the news industry, aerospace and the airline industry, problems facing the elderly and humor writing.