Great stories have the power to change the world – Commission launches the Lorenzo Natali Journalism Prize 2011
At the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, the European Commission launch the competition for this year’s Lorenzo Natali Journalism Prize, the award for excellence in journalism on the theme of development, democracy and human rights across the world.
Launching the competition, Commissioner Piebalgs said:
Every day, thousands of reporters put their lives in danger to report on conflicts, humanitarian disasters or simply to tell human stories. In too many parts of the world press freedom is still undermined or violated and I will continue to defend this human right during my mandate. This is why I'm very proud to be launching the annual Lorenzo Natali Prize, which will reward some of the most talented journalists reporting on development issues and contributing to our fight against poverty.
No country can expect to deliver social and economic development to its people unless it has a good governance structure in place, respects human rights and allows its media to operate freely. Journalists work helps to promote development and democracy throughout the world. They also act as a channel between citizens and their leaders, conveying information and voicing opinions. Press freedom is a cornerstone of the freedom of expression enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And yet, while many of us take global communication and information-sharing as a given, in too many parts of the world today press freedom is still undermined or violated. So the importance of press freedom and the role that journalists play in society are at the forefront of our minds as we launch this year’s competition. We look forward to receiving more thought-provoking and inspiring articles from across the world which will compete for the 2011 Lorenzo Natali Journalism Prize.
The Prize recognises outstanding journalists, some of whom take great risks to expose injustice and suffering. Established in 1992 by the European Commission, the Lorenzo Natali Prize is awarded in memory of Lorenzo Natali, a former European Commissioner who sought to further the European Union’s development and aid programmes. The Prize is partnered with Reporters Without Borders and is open to print, online and broadcast journalists based in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Arab World, Latin America and the Caribbean as well as Asia and the Pacific.
Print/online winners will receive cash prizes of €5 000 (1st prize), €2 500 (2nd prize) and €1 500 (3rd prize). The winners in the television and radio categories will be awarded €5 000 each. The Grand Prize winner will receive an additional €5 000. The winners will be announced at an award ceremony in December 2011.
To be eligible for submission, journalistic works need to have been published or broadcast during the period from 1 July 2010 to 31 August 2011. The deadline to submit applications is 31 August 2011. Entries should be submitted electronically at www.lorenzonataliprize.eu.
Entries will be judged, by an independent jury, on their relevance to human rights, democracy or development issues, as well as the originality of the piece, its quality, the depth of investigation carried out and any political impact it may have had.
