Thomson Foundation launches search for best young journalist
July 22London, Wednesday, July 20.
Entries are invited for the 2016 ‘Young Journalist from the Developing World’ prize sponsored by the Thomson Foundation.
Part of the UK Foreign Press Association Awards (FPA), the award enables journalists aged 30 and under from countries with a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of less than $20,000 to enter their work for scrutiny by the Foundation – the world’s longest established international media development organisation – and then the FPA judges.
The three finalists will be flown to London, spend two nights in the city and attend the gala award night at the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel on Tuesday, November 29, along with a host of other potential award winners and leading figures from the world of journalism.
“This is the fourth year the Foundation has sponsored this award and each time we see a higher quality of entries from young journalists who demonstrate all the traits of hard working, curious and, often, brave reporters.” said Nigel Baker, Thomson Foundation chief executive.
“The guests at the awards ceremony – nearly all journalists themselves – are always impressed by the stories submitted by the three finalists, their conscientiousness and their ability to provoke positive change in their respective communities.”
The award attracts entries from young journalists in Africa, India, China, South America, Central America, parts of Central Asia and some countries in the Middle East.
Each entrant needs to submit a portfolio of three published pieces of work produced in the 12 months preceding the deadline for submissions which is Friday, August 28. They can be in any format – print, audio, video, multimedia or a combination of all four.
Between 2012 and 2015, the Foundation has run the Inquirer Awards in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives to encourage submissions on investigations into corruption and financial mismanagement. The competitions were judged by a high-profile editorial panel from national and international media.
The Foundation also partners with RTE Mojocon, Ireland, running a mobile journalism competition which rewards skills for using a smartphone as a newsgathering tool.
Journalists who enter for the FPA award will need to submit a written statement of no more than 600 words giving a summary of the content of each story and any impact it had on the public debate in the country of publication. Full details of the conditions of entry are here:
http://www.thomsonfoundation.
