The search is on for the 2018 Thomson Foundation Young Journalist
Young reporters from across the world are invited to submit their work to the Thomson Foundation to enter the competition for the sixth ‘Young Journalist’ Award.
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 send in their best stories.
Their work is then scrutinised by a judging panel at Thomson Foundation and then by independent FPA judges.
Judges look for stories that are revelatory, prompt public debate and have led to, or have the potential to lead to, positive change in society. See our previous winners here.
Three finalists will be flown to London, spend a few nights in the city and attend the gala award night at the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel on November 26th, 2018, along with a host of other potential award winners and leading figures from the world of journalism.
“The diversity and range of submissions to this award, both in terms of content and geographical location, grows richer with each year,” says Nigel Baker, Thomson Foundation chief executive.
The stories submitted each year provide us with an extraordinary window on the world.
“As well as bringing success and recognition to many young journalists, it has also enabled the Foundation to build up relationships with journalistic organisations that face serious challenges both in terms of technological development through digitisation, but also in getting to the truth through investigative journalism.”
The award attracts entries from young journalists in Africa, the Indian sub-continent, 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 August 17th, 2018. They can be in any format – print, audio, video, multimedia or a combination of all four.
Mariana Motrunych, above, exposed potential corruption and was the winner of the 2017 Young Journalist Award
All entrants should be reporting from their home country as defined by the GNI or, if not in their country of origination, in another country fitting the same criteria.
Applicants also need to provide an explanation of any collaboration undertaken with colleagues or external organisations on the stories they submit.
Thomson Foundation, which promotes media excellence worldwide, has a strong tradition of involvement in competitions for journalists. Between 2005 and 2011, the Foundation ran The Inquirer Awards which recognised the work of investigative journalists in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq.
Between 2012 and 2015, the Foundation ran 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.
How to enter
Submissions for this year’s Thomson Foundation Young Journalist Award will close on 17th August, 2018. Use the entry form to apply. Visit the Young Journalist section to learn more about the award and to see all the previous winners.
For queries relating to your submission, email: awardfpa@thomsonfoundation.org. Good luck!
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Young Journalist 2015 finalists attend the Foreign Press Association Awards gala night in London
