Professional and freelance journalists working in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Gulf states and Pakistan can enter a contest recognizing the best media coverage of vaccines and immunization.
Winners from each region will receive cash prizes and a two-week study tour to the United States to meet health experts.
Entries must relate to diseases that are preventable or treatable with vaccines, such as polio, measles and pneumonia. Possible topics include the discovery of new vaccines, testing of vaccines, public attitudes toward immunization, innovative approaches to delivery of vaccines or the efficacy or failure of immunization campaigns.
The program is administered by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) in Washington, in partnership with the African Health Journalists Association and the Arab Media Forum. Entries must have appeared in media outlets based in each region or distributed mainly in the region. For Africa, submissions may be made in English, French, Portuguese or Amharic. For Pakistan, submissions may be made in English or Urdu. And for the Gulf States, submissions may be made in Arabic. Submissions in other languages must include an English translation.
Criteria:
- • Entries may include feature articles, in-depth, investigative or
explanatory stories, multimedia reports, documentaries or discussion
programs.
- • Stories must be well-researched and well-written or presented, and
we encourage stories that use data, mapping and/or citizen voices to
support their coverage.
- • We are especially looking for stories that use innovative tools
and techniques to engage or reach the public, such as Facebook chats,
Twitter feeds or the use of text messaging to solicit citizen reports on
the spread of preventable diseases.
- • Applicants may submit more than one entry.