The Trojan War
2026 — Rigby, ID/US
Radio Broadcast Journalism
Event Description:
Time: 5:30-6:00 minutes, no grace period. Time signals; not provided
Materials: All contestants use the same material provided by the tournament management. The contestant is allowed a 30 minute period to prepare a news broadcast from the material provided.
Draw: Draw event material prepared in draw room. Each round shall consist of 6-8 news articles, with a mixture of local (news pertaining to the State of Idaho), national, and international news. A physical copy of the articles will be provided to the competitor during draw.
Performance: This speech must include a minimum of three pieces of news. The speech shall be a news broadcast with an original commercial of no fewer than 30 seconds and an editorial commentary about a news item covered in the provided material. The editorial commentary, which shall be an original extemporaneous editorial reflecting the opinion of the contestant on a news story used in the presentation shall consume between 1-2 minutes of the total speech and shall be presented in the last half of the broadcast. Manuscripts and notes, including the news clippings given before the round, are permitted. The presentation may not use physical objects or costuming.
Procedure: Students shall enter the room one at a time while other contestants wait outside. Contestants shall sit with their back toward the judge. Contestants must give the judge the news article that they use for their commentary after completing their speech.
Expectations: Emphasis should be placed on presentation of the news stories, commercial and editorial commentary. Note this is not an interpretation event.
Time: Contestants may time themselves but may not have another person assist with timing. If a student goes over the 6 minute time maximum, a timing violation will result in being dropped one rank by the judge. Judges should clearly note this on the ballot, and confirm with the tab room before submitting. Students may time themselves for reference, but the judge is the official timekeeper of the round.