2008 Kurt Schork Awards in International Journalism

Eligible journalists and media houses are invited to apply are for the Kurt Schork Awards in International Journalism which celebrate the best in freelance print journalism and local reporters who show great courage and commitment to reporting on controversial issues.

Two separate $5,000 prizes are awarded each year, one to a local reporter covering local stories in a developing country or nation in transition, and the other to a freelance journalist covering international news. The stories can focus on conflict, human-rights concerns, cross-border issues, or any other issue of controversy in a particular country or region.

Underwritten by the Kurt Schork Memorial Fund and Reuters, the prizes honour Kurt Schork, an American freelance journalist who was killed in a military ambush while on assignment for Reuters on May 24, 2000, in Sierra Leone.

All submissions must demonstrate professionalism, meet international journalistic standards, and provide evidence that courage and determination played a role in generating the articles. Winners will be chosen by an international panel of five judges.

Each applicant must submit six (6) copies of the following if sending by post, or one (1) copy of each, as attachments, if applying via email:

1. Freelance News Reporter Entry Form or Local Reporter Entry Form.

2. The original articles, (up to three), accompanied by English translation. Articles must have appeared in print between March 1, 2007 and May 31 2008.

3. The applicant's curriculum vitae (resume), listing education and journalistic experience, with dates.

4. A statement providing background and context for the stories submitted.

5. A signed original letter from the editor of the publication on official letterhead supporting the submission for the Kurt Schork Award, including confirmation of the nominee's employment status with the publication.

6. One (1) photograph. Photocopies of photographs will not be accepted.

Local Reporter: Print journalists employed by a local news outlet and residing in a developing country or nation in transition (non OECD or EU countries), whose work has been published in a local publication are eligible. Although individual journalists are the primary focus, submissions from a team of journalists will also be considered. (See more details in footnote)

Freelance News Reporter: All freelance print journalists and those contracted by news organizations are eligible. A freelance journalist is an individual who is not employed by a news organization. They are self-employed, providing services, either on the basis of time or on the production of editorial materials as defined by individual contractual arrangements, and earn the majority of their income from journalism.

Eligible media: Entries are welcomed from all types of print-based media including newspapers and magazines and established on-line publications. Comment and opinion pieces, blogs and personal websites are not eligible.

Deadline for receipt of entries is June 1, 2008

Applications may be sent electronically via email, or by post to schorkawards@iwpr.net or, The Kurt Schork Awards in International Journalism, c/o Alan Davis, Institute for War & Peace Reporting, 48 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8LT. UK. Website: http://www.iwpr.net/index.php?p=-&apc_state=henitri&s=o&o=top_ksa_08.html

 Lorenzo Natali Journalism Prize 2008

Applications (individually OR in a group) are invited from print, on-line, radio and TV journalists employed by local media for the 16 edition of the Lorenzo Natali Journalism Prize.

Applicants are expected to submit ONE article or an extract of a series of articles on ONE subject, which addresses Human Rights and/or Democracy and/or Development. The work should have as background the developing world. Applicants who submit more than one application will be disqualified; laureates of the previous editions are eligible to apply.

For applicants submitting a radio or TV document, the associated script must be attached.

The script submitted (TV, radio) or the written journalistic work presented (written press, Internet) should not exceed 10,000 signs (about 5 pages including spaces). The jury will only evaluate the works on the basis of the written material given in the application. The journalistic work or the extract of a series of journalistic works presented must have been published in print, on-line media or broadcasted on the radio or on TV between January 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008.

Applications must be submitted in one of the 23 official languages of the European Union, along with the compulsory summary in English, French or Spanish. This summary should be carefully written since it will serve for the editorial pre-selection. This pre-selection will be done by a journalism school, which will only present 10 articles per region to the jury. Summary length can not to exceed 10 lines or 600 signs, including spaces.

Each selected applicant must address: either the original work along with the consent of distribution of his/her work filled in and signed; or the copy of the work with the distribution consent of the chief editor or of the professional body to which the applicant gave his/her rights.

On-line journalists are required to send a copy of the published article in HTML format by e-mail or on a floppy disk or a CD-ROM, or an URL that can be viewed unaltered for judging from July to November 2008.

The radio journalists are required to submit a copy of their work on a CD-ROM or on-line under MP3 format. The TV journalists are required to submit their journalistic work on DVD or on-line under Windows Media Player or QuickTime format.

The name of the author and the date of publication or of broadcast should be clearly indicated on all journalistic works (print and on-line) submitted: no articles submitted to the Natali Prize will be returned.

Each entry must come with an entry form, which is available at the Lorenzo Natali Prize website, the European Commission Delegations and Representations or ProPager.

An independent jury made up of media, development and human right professionals will examine the 50 pre-selected articles and suggest a list of prize-winners to the European Commission. The jury will consider: the quality of professionalism and journalistic standards applied in the preparation and dissemination of the article; the exemplary nature of the article and its impact on and relevance to public opinion.

The European Commission will award the Lorenzo Natali Prizes on the basis of a proposal from the jury. Three Prizes will be awarded in each of the following five regions: Europe (EU Members States, states of central and eastern Europe and Mediterranean states); Africa; The Arab World, Iran and Israel; Asia and the Pacific; and Latin America and the Caribbean

Each winner will receive a Trophy and a Financial Award according to the following distribution: 1st Prize: 5,000 €, 2nd Prize: 2,500 €, 3rd Prize: 1,500 €, Additionally, a Grand Prize will be awarded for the best journalistic work. The Grand Prize will receive 5,000 € more.

The deadline for entries is June 30th 2008. You can register through this link: http://www.nataliprize2008.eu/en/registration/index.php

Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards (DABRA) 2008

Journalists and editors who cover the business environment in Africa have the opportunity to apply for the 2008 Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards (DABRA), presented by the world's leading premium drinks business, Diageo.

The aim of the awards is to promote a more balanced view of financial issues and business opportunities across Africa and, in a broader context, encourage a more balanced view of Africa in the media.

Applications for DABRA 2008 are currently being accepted in the following categories: Best Published Feature, Best Radio Feature, Best TV Feature, Best Published Photograph, Media of the Year, and Journalist of the Year. To qualify, all submissions should have been published or broadcast between May 1, 2007, and April 31, 2008.

The deadline for submission of entries is May 1, 2008.

For more information, email gail.bradley@diageo.com or visit its site: http://www.diageoafricabusinessreportingawards.com/about/about_intro.html.

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