Wanted: Excellent journalism about the well-being of animals

The National Press Club wants to recognize your best work on animals and the threats they face with the Ann Cottrell Free Animal Reporting Award.

Established by the family of journalist and longtime Press Club member Ann Cottrell Free, who wrote extensively about animals and their welfare, this prize recognizes serious work by journalists that informs and educates the public about threats facing animals.

Last year’s winners were Michael Phillips of The Wall Street Journal for his story about a bomb-sniffing yellow lab who couldn’t handle the stress of combat in Afghanistan and Brad Woodard of KHOU-TV in Houston about conditions at a puppy mill, the effects of the BP oil spill on wildlife in Louisiana and very bad conditions at an egg factory.

There is a print and a broadcast category. The prize for each is $750.

The deadline for entering the NPC Journalism Contest is April 1, so pick your best stories and mail them soon! Information about the contest is here. Information about the Free Animal Reporting Award is here.

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