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Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney have launched the Shillman Journalism Prize, a new contest aimed at young “citizen journalists” with a top award of $10,000. Run through their Unreported Story Society and funded by Doctor Bob Shillman, the contest asks Americans under 25 to submit original reporting that the mainstream media “won’t tell.” Finalists will be published on Substack and the public will vote for the winners. The idea is simple: reward grit, curiosity, and stories that big newsrooms ignore.
A needed boost for citizen journalism
Good journalism doesn’t need a big newsroom. Sometimes it needs a kid with a notebook, a camera, and the nerve to ask awkward questions. The Shillman Journalism Prize recognizes that. By offering $10,000 for first place (with smaller prizes for second and third), the contest sends a clear message: real reporting matters, even if it doesn’t fit the preferred narrative of legacy outlets. The rules encourage digging into local documents, using FOIA, and interviewing whistleblowers — the same tools that expose corruption and waste. If mainstream journalists are too busy waving opinion flags to do that work, then yes, let’s pay the next generation to step in.
Rules, red flags, and the transparency test
This prize is promising, but the mechanics matter. The official rules ban AI use, require entrants to be U.S. residents under 25 and not full‑time journalists, and give the Unreported Story Society a broad, non‑exclusive license to use submissions. Finalists are to be chosen by an “expert panel” and then published on Substack for public voting. Sounds fine — until you notice the blanks. Who sits on that expert panel? How will public voting be protected from bots or mass campaigns? What tools will the Society use to detect AI, and do entrants have an appeal process if flagged? Most importantly, what role — if any — will the funder, Doctor Bob Shillman, have over publication and judging? If you want the public to trust the prize, the organizers should publish judge names, voting safeguards, and a clear statement that donors won’t censor winners. That’s not picky. It’s basic accountability.
How to enter — and what winners should watch for
The contest timeline is straightforward: submissions open in September and close at the end of December, with a panel review in January and the Top 10 published on Substack in early February for public voting. Entrants must submit original reporting (no opinion pieces) and provide a Google Doc link. Practical advice for anyone thinking of entering: pick a local story, document everything, and keep raw files and sources ready in case questions arise. Also read the fine print about licensing — the Society reserves the right to publish while claiming no obligation to do so. That means finalists should clarify whether they keep first‑publication rights elsewhere and expect reasonable editorial treatment if their work runs on the Society’s platform.
Conservatives should cheer — but demand standards
Conservatives should welcome any effort that pushes back against media groupthink and trains the next generation to do real reporting. This prize could unearth stories that matter: local corruption, mismanaged government programs, and inconvenient truths the big outlets ignore. But enthusiasm shouldn’t blind us. If this contest is going to be a conservative‑friendly pathway to honest journalism, organizers must answer the transparency questions now — before headlines and prize checks. Publish the judges, explain the voting security, and confirm the funder’s hands‑off stance. Do that, and we’ll encourage every young truth‑seeker we know to enter. Don’t, and it will look like another contest that talks about “truth” while keeping the important details under lock and key. We’re not asking for miracles — just clear rules and fair play. The future of citizen journalism deserves nothing less.
