Amman, July 1, 2012 – ARIJ, the region's pioneering media support network promoting in-depth reporting among editors, journalists and university academics, has sent out invitations for nominations for its annual 2012 Prize for best investigative journalism.
In addition, ARIJ- Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism is sending out invitations for nomination for a special $3,000 monetary prize for best political investigation in 11 Arab countries under the title: "Investigating the Powerful". This prize recognizes the best journalism done on influential public/private leaders as well as political parties whose actions have impacted the political process in Arab countries in transition, including parliamentary elections.
Both prizes are open to investigative journalists in the nine countries of ARIJ operation: Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen, Iraq, Palestine and Tunis as well as Algeria and Morocco.
The prizes will be presented at a Gala Dinner, on Nov. 25, 2012 in the presence of hundreds of journalists and editors attending the 5th Annual ARIJ Conference for Arab Investigative Journalists.
In its fifth year, the annual prize is open to journalists working in three media categories: print, radio and television. Each category will have three winners.
The special ARIJ "Political Prize" will be given to one winner only -- in print, radio and television -- to recognize the best work, using techniques that are part of research-based precision journalism in Arab countries in transition.
Daoud Kuttab, ARIJ Chairman, said the board's decision to grant the special prize: "Investigating the Powerful" aims at encouraging brave journalists to investigate influential leaders and public/private figures in response to changes brought about by the so-called Arab Spring..
The Jury Committee is headed for the fifth year by Yosri Foude, ARIJ deputy chairman. Foude is editor and presenter of Egypt's controversial "Last Word" current talk show at ONTV. The former chief investigative correspondent and executive producer for Al-Jazeera's top show "Sirri Lilghayeh" or "Top Secret," he is best known for his exclusive 48-hour encounter with the masterminds of the 9-11 attacks against New York and Washington.
The work will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
1. The idea and piece of work must be original
2. The story must be about issues of public importance to the audience
3. The reporter(s) has been working in a systematic manner in order to provide documentation
4. The reporter(s) has tried to verify and document claims from oral and written sources, whether these sources have been supporting of or going against the reporters’ original hypothesis
5. The reporter(s) has, through the investigation provided answers to significant and difficult questions
6. The investigation provides new knowledge and or recognition, that would otherwise not have been obtained
7. The reporter(s) has uncovered facts that someone have tried to hide or for other reasons have been kept away from public scrutiny.
8. The reporter(s) has been confronting the people in charge with accusations against them
9. The work and methods of the reporter(s) can serve as a model for other investigative journalists
10. The reporter has been using new, creative or unusually difficult methods in order to document the story
The Competition is open to :
Journalists from Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Bahrain, Yemen, Palestine and Tunisia, as well as Algeria and Morocco who have produced investigations through ARIJ or investigated an issue on their own.
The investigations can be written in English or Arabic, and have to be published between November 15, 2011 and October 15, 2012 in local television, radio and print. Investigations that have been completed during that same period but are not yet published\broadcast can also enter the prize.
Published/broadcast work in the London-based Arabic media such as "Hayat" newspaper, "Al Qudas al Arabi" and "Al-Sharq Al-Awsat as well as Arab and foreign television and radio stations, is also welcome.
In addition:
- Each journalist is free to choose the topic but it has to be well-documented and of importance to the local community.
- The entries cannot be subject to any legal proceedings
- The duration of each TV or Radio investigation entering the prize should be between 3 to 30 minutes.
- The decisions of the jury committee are considered final.
- Each participant has to send a copy of his/her investigation along with an application to info@arij.net
- Each application for the TV and radio categories has to be accompanied by a written text of the investigation. Each participant has to send by mail a DVD to P.O.Box 942456 Amman 11194 or by courier to 5 Ibn Fadhlan Street, Amman, Jordan, Telephone:009626-4640406
The deadline for receiving applications is October 15, 2012.
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