Call for Entries: The 2026 Martin Buskin Awards

STONY BROOK — Are you a Stony Brook student journalist making an impact? Whether you’re breaking news, producing investigative podcasts, or capturing the campus through a lens, we want to reward your hard work. The 2026 Martin Buskin Awards for Outstanding Campus Journalism call for entries is now open.

The deadline is Friday, March 27, at 6 p.m.

The awards honor the legacy of Newsday’s late education editor and Stony Brook adjunct professor. They are presented to student journalists whose work demonstrates a commitment to excellence through leadership in campus journalism, outstanding work and/or impact on the Stony Brook community.

🏆 The Prizes

• The Martin Buskin Award for Outstanding Campus Journalism: $1,000 (Open to Juniors and Seniors)
• Cub Journalist of the Year: $250 (Open to Freshmen and Sophomores), following the same application criteria and deadline as the main award.

MARTIN BUSKIN AWARD FOR CAMPUS JOURNALISM

📂 Categories

You may submit work in one or more of the following categories: Articles, Video Journalism, Audio Journalism, News Photography, Graphics & Illustration:, Leadership.

VIDEO JOURNALISM – Submit links to pieces as they have appeared in broadcast or online that show excellence and creativity in use of that medium. The student journalist’s name must appear in the pieces. Include a description of your role in preparing the piece. The links must be working at least through May. In the case of long-form broadcast pieces, submit links to edited versions of no more than 20 minutes accompanied by a written description of the entire program and your role in it.

ARTICLES – Examples include written stories, blog posts, or other creative uses of writing in the online medium. For printed work, you may also upload a .pdf to show how a story appeared.

AUDIO JOURNALISM – Submit links to examples of audio journalism as they have appeared in broadcast or online that exhibit excellence and creativity in your use of sound to tell a story. The student journalist’s name must be included in the pieces. Include a description of your role in preparing the piece. The links and URLs must be working at least through May.

NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY – Submit links to your published photographs. The links must be working at least through May.

GRAPHICS/ILLUSTRATIONS – This includes editorial cartoons, illustrations, charts, maps or visuals that present information or a point of view with excellence and creativity. Submit links. The links must be working at least through May.

LEADERSHIP – In two single-spaced pages or less, describe your editorial policies, activities and impact as an editor, news director or producer. Submit examples that demonstrate excellence and creativity. For each, include a description of your role or input. This not only includes editing and story selection, but also innovation, teaching, supervision and direction. In addition to the submission methods described in other categories, you may submit screenshots of the Website or package along with the links.

MARTIN BUSKIN CUB JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR AWARD

The Buskin Committee for Campus Journalism also recognizes the contributions of freshmen and sophomores, who are not eligible for the overall Martin Buskin Award for Campus Journalism, with its Martin Buskin Cub Journalist of the Year Award. The criteria and deadline are the same.

📝 How to Apply

To be considered, please compile the following and upload it via our submission form below. Your application must include:

• Nominating Letter: A recommendation from a peer or faculty member.
• Personal Statement: Tell us about your journey and impact as a journalist.
• Resume: Your current professional history.
• Work Samples: Links or PDFs of your best work (see category-specific requirements below).
• Work Descriptions: A brief explanation of your role for each piece submitted.

Note on Links: All URLs must remain active through at least May 2026.

📅 Questions?

We’re here to help! Send us a message.