The Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism, which rewards outstanding journalism that promotes or defends core European Union values, has called for submission of entries from professional journalists and teams of professional journalists of any nationality. It is inviting such journalists to submit in-depth pieces that have been published or broadcast by media based in one of the 27 European Union (EU) countries.
The aim of the prize is to support and highlight the importance of professional journalism and annually rewards outstanding journalism that promotes or defends the core principles and values of the European Union such as human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, and human rights.
European Parliament President, Roberta Metsola, said: “Journalists must be free to do their work. That is non-negotiable. Each year the European Parliament renews its commitment to uphold media and press freedom, in tribute to the fearless journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Daphne was assassinated, but her spirit endures in the work of journalists who, just like her, champion truth, pluralism and justice. This prize belongs to them”.
The sum of €20,000 prize money awarded annually to a single winner demonstrates the European Parliament’s strong support for investigative journalism and the importance of a free press. Over the last few years, Parliament has warned about attempts both in the EU and beyond to undermine media pluralism.
Applicants can submit their entries themselves or by professional media organisations and associations of journalists. Eligible entries must have been published/broadcast in print, audiovisual or online media outlets based in one of the 27 EU Member States between September 1, 2023 and July 31, 2024.
Entries may be submitted in any of the EU official languages with a summary of 500 words maximum in English provided in the submission form. Entries would be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Relevance of the topic for European society and contribution to the promotion of EU values and principles.
- Quality of content, which should be well documented, accurate, factual, and based on a variety of sources.
- Quality in terms of language, style, and structure.
- Original and in-depth approach to the topic.
For detailed information about the prize, please visit https://daphnejournalismprize.eu/.
Interested journalists should submit their article(s) through the online platform by 31 July 2024, 12 PM (CET).
Daphne Caruana Galizia was a Maltese journalist, blogger and anti-corruption activist who reported extensively on corruption, money laundering, organised crime, sale of citizenship and the Maltese government’s links to the Panama Papers. After several harassment and threats, she was murdered in a car bomb explosion on October 16, 2017. The outcry over the authorities’ handling of her murder investigation ultimately prompted the resignation of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and due to critical of failings in the investigation, in December 2019, MEPs called on the European Commission to take action.