Call for Entries: Voices Awards in the field of Journalism and Media Literacy

Categories

• Journalism
• Media Literacy

Journalism Categories

• The Voices Awards for Journalism comprise five distinct categories:
  • Up-and-coming: innovative and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence in journalism
    • The ability to use AI tools to enforce journalistic objectives and maintain journalistic ethical standards is a crucial aspect of this category.
  • Impact: cross-border investigative reporting
    •  The aim of this category is to spotlight journalists and media outlets who conducted crossborder investigations on European issues that impact real-world change.
  • Local resilience: innovative and successful business model for local reporting
    • The aim of this category is to spotlight local media outlets based in the EU27 that meaningfully serve their communities through news supported by their sustainable business model.
  • Remarkable youth: promising journalists under 30
    • The aim of this category is to reward young journalists under 30 showing excellence in their field.
  • Fighters: journalists and media organisations working in emergency situations
    • The aim of this category is to raise awareness about journalists who remain resilient in the face of emerging challenges when carrying out their work.

Media Literacy Categories

The Voices Awards for Media Literacy (ML) comprises five distinct categories:

• AI Trending Now: clever ways to use Artificial Intelligence technology in Media Literacy
  • This category will reward initiatives that are using media and technology, and especially Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications, in a clever way to tackle effectively ML-related needs and domains. Entries should demonstrate how creatively using existing tech tools, software, and AI apps and programmes can result in making ML activities more effective and impactful.
• Digital Well-Being category: nurture life skills and mindfulness to contribute to a healthier digital environment
  • This category recognises initiatives promoting digital well-being, using media to reduce stress and anxiety, experience calm and clarity and show care for others, encourage meaningful interactions between individuals, nurture mindfulness and creativity, raise individual awareness, and promote positive media usage. It may also be related to any of the following non-inclusive ML physical and mental health-related issues: stereotypes, hate speech, cyberbullying, privacy, surveillance and screen addiction.
• Digital Parenting & Generations: media literacy initiatives to benefit parents, children, young and older people
  • This category seeks to recognise and celebrate creative, far-reaching, and scalable initiatives that demonstrate effectiveness in the realms of digital parenting and media literacy. These initiatives aim to bring benefits to parents and children. They may encompass a wide spectrum of relevant activities, including but not limited to online campaigns, educational resources, debates, and other impactful endeavours.
• Empowering Citizens’ Engagement and Participation: initiatives to encourage participation, fight disinformation and protect election integrity
  • This category seeks to recognise and celebrate initiatives that empower citizens, including in their roles as voters, contributing to enhancing their engagement and participation in the respective online communities and in public life. These initiatives may encompass a range of efforts, including but not limited to counter-narrative disinformation strategies, using alternative media, initiatives promoting election integrity and fighting biased propaganda, including during electoral periods.
• MIL Multipliers: effective practices to replicate multiply and transfer media literacy knowledge and skills
  • This category is dedicated to recognising the most efficient practices demonstrated by teachers, teacher-trainers, librarians, journalists, and communities of practice in the realm of MIL. It highlights strategies contributing to replicating, multiplying, and transferring MIL knowledge and skills. These strategies may encompass a wide array of initiatives, such as media campaigns, massive online courses and other multiplier events. The goal is to identify and reward initiatives that excel in MIL and serve as exemplars for others seeking to promote MIL awareness and competence.

Prize Information

• Voices is granting 10 awards for 1000 euros each to young journalists and media literacy advocates to participate in the festival’s first edition.

Eligibility Criteria

• Journalism
  • Up-and-coming: innovative and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence in journalism
    • Entries must be submitted by journalists and media outlets. Media outlets must be legal entities officially established at least one year before the publication of this call for entries.
    • Entries must focus on legacy or digitally native newsrooms using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to deliver high-impact journalism.
    • Entries must show their application of (generative) AI to develop and disseminate news. This can be in the form of content development or adaption, newsgathering strategies or data reporting.
  • Impact: cross-border investigative reporting
    • Entries must be submitted by cross-border investigative teams of at least two journalists (including students) and/or media outlets.
    • The entries must concern cross-border investigative journalism in Europe.
    • The result of the investigation must be published by at least two media outlets in at least two different European countries at the time of the submission.
    • Investigative journalism published by independent media in any form is eligible, no matter whether print, online, broadcast or cross-media.
  • Local resilience: The most innovative and successful business model for local reporting
    • Entries must be submitted by local media outlets or collaborative teams. Media outlets must be legal entities officially incorporated at least one year before the publication of this call for entries.
    • Entries must focus on sustainable business model that entails to benefit the public, especially local citizens and communities, whose interests are best served by quality, ethical and pluralistic local media.
    • The sustainable business model must focus on a broad audience of the region/location/community concerned.
  • Remarkable youth: promising journalists under 30
    • Entries must be submitted by (student) journalists aged 30 or less at the time of the publication of this call for entries.
    • The work submitted must have been produced either by enrolled students receiving academic credit for the work or by young journalists with experience of five years or less.
  • Fighters: journalists and media organisations working in emergency situations
    • Entries must be submitted by collaborative teams of journalists or journalists for recognition of their resilience in their field.
    • Entries must concern the emergency situation in which the journalist has experience operating. An emergency situation is where journalists operate in a country at war or conflict (also outside the EU27) or in a challenging political environment (in terms of human rights, rule of law and democratic standards).
• Media Literacy
  • AI Trending Now: clever ways to use Artificial Intelligence technology in Media Literacy
    • Entries may be submitted by individuals, team groups, schools or organisations showing how AI was used to constitute new projects or enhance the effectiveness of an existing one.
    • Entries should demonstrate the creative use of AI, media and technology to enhance ML efforts;
    • Entries must have been implemented within the last two years from the publication of this call;
    • Entries should align with the goals and principles of ML (including so-called AI literacy) as described above, and applicants must clearly show how their initiative builds ML skills, attitudes and values.
  • Digital Well-Being category: nurture life skills and mindfulness to contribute to a healthier digital environment
    • Entries should show how media can be used to help people feel better or mitigate the risks of its abuse.
    • Entries should align with ML’s goals, principles values and ethical standards.
  • Digital Parenting & Generations: media literacy initiatives to benefit parents, children, young and older people
    • Entries must have been implemented within the last three years from the publication of this call;
    • Entries should demonstrate a measurable and positive impact on people in either of one of their capacities of parents, children, young or older people;
    • Entries should have the potential for scalability, meaning they can be expanded or adapted to reach a broader audience or address different demographics.
    • Entries should adhere to ethical standards and promote responsible digital behavior.
  • Empowering Citizens’ Engagement and Participation: initiatives to encourage participation fight disinformation and protect election integrity
    • Entries should be submitted by passionate advocates, collaborative group efforts aimed at enhancing civic engagement or initiatives organised by educational institutions such as schools;
    • The initiative must have been implemented within the last three years from the publication of this call;
    • Entries should demonstrate the effective use of media to promote citizens’ participation in public life, and applicants must clearly show how their initiative contributes to better communication and welfare and to be more capable of relating to one another for the common good.
  • MIL Multipliers: effective practices to replicate multiply and transfer media literacy knowledge and skills
    • Entries must be submitted by
      • teachers who have implemented highly effective MIL practices in their educational settings;
      • Teacher-trainers who have successfully equipped educators with MIL competencies;
      • Librarians who have facilitated MIL-related programs and resources;
      • Organisations who have contributed to MIL advocacy and awareness;
      • Any other community of practice dedicated to enhancing MIL knowledge and skills.
  • General eligibility criteria
    • Entries for the Voices Awards for Journalism may only be submitted from applicants legally residing or established in the EU Member States.
    • Applicants may be natural persons or legal entities (public or private bodies).
    • Anonymous submissions will not be accepted.
    • Journalism
      • Entries may be submitted by media outlets, freelance journalists, students of schools of journalism and trainee journalists for their published works and operations that support public interest journalism.
      • Online retailers, search services, portal sites and advertising sites are not eligible.
    • Media Literacy
      • Entries in all categories must demonstrate clearly how they contribute to building one or more media literacy properties5 (access, use, critical thinking, participation), skills, attitudes and values to the final beneficiary.
      • Entries may refer to any traditional media such as TV, books, and radio or digital media (internet, mobile, AI, etc.). Any content, product or service, tools and resources can be the object of the initiative: Apps, websites, blogs, podcasts, videos, campaigns, publications, debates and so on.

For more information, visit Voices.