ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Society for News Design’s 41st creative competition announced 11 semi-finalists on Wednesday for World’s Best Designed Newspaper. The Society for News Design’s Best of News Design Creative Competition is a juried competition recognizing journalistic excellence in storytelling, graphics, illustration, photography and news design. Each year, the World’s Best Designed judges identify and recognize overall excellence of news organizations around the world. The finalists for the award will be announced at a later date and the winners will be announced at the annual SND workshop in Washington, D.C. in April.
Judges’ remarks
Judges coalesced early in the process around what design principles and reading experience they believed should define a candidate worthy of being named World’s Best. They were looking for a publication that took advantage of the print medium and the courage to leverage the form without apology. They wanted a newspaper firmly in control of its visual voice, confident and certain with every note. They were looking for integrity of effort and execution, asking that a newspaper relentlessly demonstrate that it pursued design excellence with every turn of the page. All pages matter, every photo, every graphic, every type application, every headline, every design element. All of it had to be spot on. Perhaps more than anything else, judges were looking for a newspaper that could tell important stories exceptionally well.
The semi-finalists
Good news: There’s amazing news design happening around the world. The 11 semi-finalists represented high standards in visual storytelling, easily separating themselves from the full field of entries. Judges saw excellent use of typography and color, design systems that provide solid footing, and a wealth of inventive visuals. The newspapers that made this cut exemplified what makes print such a durable experience. The judges deliberated for a long time to select this field and were heartened to see new forms emerging, especially those that explored ways to drive revenue expansion and strive for inclusion and community.
De Volksrant – Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Guardian – London, United Kingdom
Washington Post – Washington, D.C., United States
The New York Times, New York City, United States
Politiken– Copenhagen, Denmark
The Globe and Mail – Toronto, Canada
Dagens Nyheter – Stockholm, Sweden
Het Parool – Amsterdam, Netherlands
Público – Lisbon, Portugal
Die Zeit – Hamburg, Germany
Politico Europe – Brussels, Belgium
