Media play a critical role in shaping public perceptions of what a leader looks like, as well as the public’s understanding of the importance of women’s participation and representation. The IPPWS Media Awards for Excellence in Gender-Sensitive Election Reporting in Samoa, in partnership with the National University of Samoa Media and Journalism School, look to celebrate examples of gender-sensitive reporting around the March 2016 election in Samoa in an effort to encourage further such reporting.
ENTRIES CLOSE MIDNIGHT 31 MARCH (SAMOA TIME)
WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN APRIL 2016
CATEGORIES
Outstanding News Outlet – Organisation
• Recognising the gender-sensitivity of overall election coverage by major Samoa-based media outlets, using the criteria below.
• Judges will make their decision based on media monitoring captured as part of the IPPWS programme and collation of entries from the Print and Broadcast categories.
• Individual nominations/entries will not be accepted for this category.
Outstanding Print Reporting – Individual
• Rewarding a particular written article written by an individual or group of journalists/citizen journalists for its gender balance, for raising awareness of women’s political participation in Samoa, and for challenging gender stereotypes in leadership and decision-making.
• Judges will make their decision based on entries from individual journalists/citizen journalists or entries by members of the public on behalf of a journalist/citizen journalist.
Outstanding Individual Broadcast Reporting – Individual
• Rewarding a particular broadcast segment (radio or television, including podcasts) written by an individual or group of journalists/citizen journalists for its gender balance, for raising awareness of women’s political participation in Samoa, and for challenging gender stereotypes in leadership and decision-making.
• Judges will make their decisions based on entries from individual journalists/citizen journalists or entries by members of the public on behalf of a journalist/citizen journalist.
ELIGIBILITY
• All articles/broadcast segments must have been published/broadcast publicly – including via media outlets, blog sites, podcasts – during the period beginning 1 November 2015 and ending 31 March 2016.
• All entries must provide a live link to the published article/broadcast, a PDF of the published news page or a video file of the broadcast.
• Journalists/citizen journalists must be based in Samoa to be eligible. Only Samoa-based media outlets will be considered for the Outstanding Media Outlet category.
• Employees of UNDP, UN Women and the Australian Government may make an entry on behalf of a journalist/citizen journalist but may not enter themselves.
• Entries can be in Samoan or English.
HOW TO ENTER
• Entries should be emailed to dora.fanene@unwomen.org by midnight 31 March 2016 (Samoa time).
• Entries should include the following information in the body of the email:
Name (of journalist)
Organisation (if applicable)
Contact email and phone number of journalist
Date published
Link to published article/broadcast or File name
Category
Specify which criteria you think the article meets
• There is no limit to the number of entries per individual, however, each entry must be made be via a separate email.
• Both individual entries and entries by members of the public on behalf of a journalist/citizen journalist.
• Entries that do not include ALL of the above information will not be considered. Late submissions will also not be considered.
CRITERIA
To be considered an entry must meet at least two of the following three criteria:
1. Media reports are clearly balanced, including women’s voices on an equal footing with men across a variety of non gender-specific election issues.
2. Media reports cover election issues, candidates and the electoral process using appropriate and gender-sensitive language and/or visuals, raising awareness of issues of women’s political representation and participation and their effects on families and communities.
3. Media reports clearly challenge gender stereotypes, especially with regards to women in leadership roles and decision-making, specifically addressing and raising awareness of the barriers women face in politics and the importance of women’s political participation and representation.
Enquiries should be directed to:
Mele Maualaivao
Country Programme Coordinator
UN Women
Phone: +685-23670 ext 54
Mobile: +685-772-8527
Email: mele.maualaivao@unwomen.org
ippws 