HALIFAX, Aug. 28 /CNW/ - The Atlantic Journalism Awards (AJAs) has
announced a realignment of its awards categories which includes the
introduction of five new awards. The changes were made in consultation with
the Atlantic journalism community and become effective immediately. The
categories apply to the entire 2009 news year. Details of the new categories
can be reviewed at www.AJAs.ca
    The new categories are: Online News Reporting, Business Reporting, Best
Page Presentation (newspaper), Community Reporting, and a Lifetime Achievement
Award.

    The Online News Reporting category will recognize online journalism for a
single story from web sites of print, radio or television journalists or their
news organizations.

    The Business Reporting category will honour journalists or news
organizations for business reporting stories in newspapers or on radio or
television.

    The Best Page Presentation newspaper award will recognize excellence in
content presentation and layout for a single print page. The page could be a
front page or a section page of a daily or community newspaper.

    The Community Reporting award is intended to honour community newspaper
journalists in markets that do not have a daily newspaper and journalists from
small market radio stations or cable community television for a single story
or series about an issue important to the local community.

    The Lifetime Achievement award will be presented to an individual or news
organization who has demonstrated a lifetime of dedication to journalism
excellence in Atlantic Canada.

    The previous three Atlantic magazine awards have been deleted from the
awards line-up as magazines can enter many of the existing AJAs categories as
a print medium. All other AJAs categories remain the same.
    As well as the new categories, entry rules and judges' guidelines can be
reviewed on the AJAs website.

    The deadline for entries in the 2009 awards program is Friday, January
29, 2010. The gala dinner and awards event will be held Saturday, May 8, 2010
at the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel.