Deadline: 10 April 2018
The European Union is proud to announce for the 13th time the launch of the Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press. This prize bears the heavy responsibility of championing free speech and independent media in a world increasingly threatened by misinformation, and in a region still witnessing a decline in freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
Topics
Candidates must submit an opinion article, an investigative article, or an audiovisual report centered around one or more of the following topics:
- rule of law,
- human rights,
- good governance,
- fight against corruption,
- freedom of expression,
- democratic development, or
- citizen participation.
Award Categories
Three awards will be granted for:
- Best opinion article
- Best investigative article
- Best audiovisual news report
Award Information
The winner in each of the three categories will be awarded €10 000.
Eligibility Criteria
- The contest is open to all journalists working in or for written (daily, weekly, monthly print or online) press, or audiovisual (TV stations, production houses, and online TV networks). The award is open to nationals of the following countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
- The article must have been published in a print or online media outlet in one of the countries listed above or in one of the European Union Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and United Kingdom). The article must not exceed 25,000 characters and must have been published between March 15, 2017, and March 15, 2018.
- The audiovisual report must have been aired on a local or satellite television network or released on an online television network in one of the countries listed above or in one of the European Union Member States. The report must not exceed 7 minutes and must have been released between March 15, 2017, and March 15, 2018.
- Each submission can only fall into one of the three above mentioned categories. Candidates for the opinion article and investigative article categories can only apply on an individual basis. Candidates for the audiovisual report category must either be the report’s director or the producer and may apply on an individual basis or jointly (director and producer).
- The European Union holds the right to reproduce and publishes the awarded articles and air the awarded audiovisual report in its own non-commercial publications and websites as well as in any other print or online publications related to the “Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press”.
- Members of the jury, the staff of the European Union, and staff and members of the Samir Kassir Foundation are excluded from the contest.
How to Apply
Completed applications with all submission materials must be submitted either via postal or email at the address given on the website.
Eligible Countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen
For more information, please visit Samir Kassir Award.