2024 Entry Guidelines and Judging Criteria

ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The annual AAOS MORE Awards recognize excellence in reporting accurate musculoskeletal health and issues and encouraging healthy behaviors in the care of bones and joints.

ELIGIBILITY
MORE Awards will be given to media across six categories: multimedia news package, newspaper feature, broadcast journalism, online journalism, audio digital storytelling and advocacy journalism.

* The Advocacy category will accept entries that recognize excellence in reporting musculoskeletal health programs at the federal, state and local levels as well as emphasizing the importance of research funding for the advancement of orthopaedics.

To qualify for a MORE Award all entrants must be journalists or freelance writers/editors/producers in either print, broadcast or online journalism. Entries must have been written for a CONSUMER audience and published or broadcast on or between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023.

ENTRY DEADLINE
Entries must be received on or before December 31, 2023. THERE WILL NOT BE ANY EXTENSIONS, due to a tight judging schedule.

GENERAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
All entries must include the below information. Questions about the submission process can be sent to media@aaos.org.

• First name
• Last name
• Title
• Email address
• Phone number
• Publishing media outlet or site story appeared on
• Award category selection (multimedia news package, newspaper/magazine feature, broadcast journalism, online journalism, audio digital storytelling and advocacy journalism)
• Supporting materials – JPG, PNG, PDF, MP3, or MOV file of the story/vide/radio segment

JUDGING CRITERIA AND TIMING
Each entry for the MORE Awards will be evaluated by a panel of orthopaedic surgeons based on the following criteria:

• Accurately report on new trends, procedures, technologies or news as they relate to orthopaedics or the musculoskeletal system – bones and joints;
• Medical and technical accuracy and completeness;
• Clarity and style; and
• Original and creative concept

If, in the opinion of the judges, an entry is submitted in the wrong category, the AAOS reserves the right to transfer the submission to another more appropriate category or remove it from consideration based on the criteria. Only one MORE Award will be granted to a recipient regardless of the number of stories submitted for consideration.

AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENT
All winners will be notified in the spring 2024.

RETENTION OF ENTRIES
All entries become the property of AAOS and will not be returned.