PUL 2019 Award









(Monrovia, February 28, 2019) –In recognition of the outstanding work of journalists and news entities across Liberia and to showcase emerging talents, the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) is now accepting entries for its 2019 awards as part of inspiring excellence in journalism in the country. The deadline for all award submissions is April20, 2019.

“The past year saw decline in diversity in the coverage, understandably producing more political stories during a period after a high fought election and the ascendency of President George M. Weah. We have seen political messaging all a lot in the media; this is driven by the ever-growing influence of politicians in the sector. They determine what are said on the talk shows and angry tone of our public discourse.   Amidst it all, our brand of journalism continues to be that enabler of expression and the public right to know. 

"At a time when some traditional media deem to be critical of particular world leaders are discredited and the internet providing the space for more instant release of information, one excellent journalism piece deserves all the celebrations because it stands in the way of those who fine it rewarding to undermine our work as a center piece for democratic governance."

Awards will be presented in several categories, as arbitrated by a carefully selected panel of judges comprised of experienced and knowledgeable journalists.

The awards are open to all Union members. It covers electronic, print, and online media outlets. Journalists are encouraged to submit their entries from Wednesday, 20thMarch to Saturday, 20th April 2019.  Entries must be dropped off at the Headquarters of the Press Union of Liberia on 44 Clay Street before the close of business day, Saturday, 20th April 2019.  

The Awards Committee will distribute entry forms for nominations for the Institutional Awards and the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Awards to be filled out, sealed up by media houses and civil society organizations and dropped in a dedicated box at the Union headquarters.  Nominations of the best radio & television stations will be done by the print media while the electronic media will nominate their best newspapers in like manner.

The nominations for Journalist of the Year will be done by media institutions and civil society in Liberia.

Vetting and winner selection will be carried out by the Awards Committee in accordance with all standards of Journalism.

Awards for the best work in each category will be presented during the PUL Annual Awards Night on Friday, June 21, 2018 at an illustrious event, which closes the 2019World Press Freedom Day celebrations in Liberia.

 

Daniel Nyakonah, Jr.

Secretary General

0886235395/0770166781

 

PUL Award Categories

1.      Individual Theme-based Awards

a.      Legislative Reporting – Identifying the reporter, who provides insight, follow-ups and meaningful reporting from and about the Legislature, individual members and issues arising therefrom;

Details & Criteria

Please consider accuracy, sourcing, balance, accountability, courage, originality, storytelling and Impact. Journalists are encourage to submit series.

 

b.      Human Rights Reporting - Identifying the reporter, who provides insight and follow-ups and impacting reporting about human rights, including laws, protocols, conventions, actions and violations within the Liberian space. This also includes efforts to address these rights;

Details & Criteria

Please consider accuracy, sourcing, balance, accountability, courage, originality, storytelling and Impact. Journalists are encourage to submit series.

 

c.      Women Rights Reporting - Identifying the reporter, who provides insight, follow-ups and impacting reporting about women rights, including laws, protocols and conventions, actions and violations within the Liberian space. This also includes efforts to address these rights;

Details & Criteria

Please consider accuracy, sourcing, balance, accountability, courage, originality, storytelling and Impact. Journalists are encourage to submit series.

d.      Sports Reporting - Identifying the reporter who provides insight, follow-ups and informed reporting about various sporting disciplines, athletes, and regulators. This also includes efforts to promote sports and championing same for the promotion of youth development, sports development and peace at the community, county and national levels;

Details & Criteria

Please consider accuracy, sourcing, balance, accountability, courage, originality, storytelling and Impact. Journalists are encourage to submit series.

 

e.      Health Reporting - Identifying the reporter, who provides insight, follow-ups and impacting reporting about health care services in Liberia. This includes the actors in the sector, the issues in health care, including preventive and curative issues, the laws affecting and governing the sector, practices, actions taken to improve health care. This also includes pinpointing the weaknesses of the health care system and the efforts to address them;

Details & Criteria

Please consider accuracy, sourcing, balance, accountability, courage, originality, storytelling and Impact. Journalists are encourage to submit series.

f.      Investigative Reporter - Identifying the reporter who, in his/her work, employs a high degree of follow-ups and legal and forensic investigations to dig out and disseminate information that impacts or have the tendency to impact society, whether positively or negatively;

Details & Criteria

Please consider accuracy, sourcing, balance, accountability, courage, originality, storytelling and Impact. Journalists are encourage to submit series.

 

g.      Development Reporting - Identifying the reporter, who does the most to present insightful reports about development-oriented matters in all spheres of the Liberian Society. This also includes efforts being made to address developmental issues;

Details & Criteria

Please consider accuracy, sourcing, balance, accountability, courage, originality, storytelling and Impact. Journalists are encourage to submit series.

 

h.      Environmental Reporting – Identifies the reporter, who provides insight, and meaningfully reports about various aspects of the environment, including laws, actions taken to curb, if not eradicate harmful practices and steps taken to bring violators of environmental laws to book in Liberia and beyond. This also includes efforts to address these environmental issues.

Details & Criteria

Please consider accuracy, sourcing, balance, accountability, courage, originality, storytelling and Impact. Journalists are encourage to submit series.                                                                                                             

i. Business & Economic Reporting - Identifies the reporter, who provides insight and up-to-date information for users to make informed business and economic decisions. This also includes coverage of stories and features relating to the Liberia’s Association and Commercial laws, and how the laws can be applied in the best interests of the Liberian populace.

Details & Criteria

Please consider accuracy, sourcing, balance, accountability, courage, originality, storytelling and Impact. Journalists are encourage to submit series.

 

j.      Judicial Reporting- Identifies reporting which covers legal issues in an understanding manner, making efforts to address concerns in judicial practice, including coverage of actors, abiding by the laws, which includes the Constitution of the Republic, statutes, judicial canons and/or codes, actions and highlighting efforts made to bring perpetrators of crime to justice. This also includes efforts to address law reforms and accountability in the Liberian Justice System.

Details & Criteria

Please consider accuracy, sourcing, balance, accountability, courage, originality, storytelling and Impact. Journalists are encourage to submit series.

 

k. Executive Mansion/Presidential Affairs Reporting - Identifying the reporter, who articulately covers events from the seat of the presidency and the Executive branch of government. This including reporting the events, the issues and actions which make the Executive effective in the implementation of its constitutional mandate.

Details & Criteria

Please consider accuracy, sourcing, balance, accountability, courage, originality, storytelling and Impact. Journalists are encourage to submit series.

 

l.      Newscaster- Identifying the newscaster who employs skill, and experience in presenting newscasts to his/her audience. This has to do with presentation, style, diction and pronunciation.  

m.      Photo Journalism- Identifying the reporter with a knack for high quality photographs that depicts the story and aids the reader with a clearer appreciation of the news story or event presented. It is also meant to reward the reporter whose photos tell the story, if not in its entirety, then at least to a large extent.

Details & Criteria

Please consider theme, impression, or an emotion, messaging, courage, originality, and Impact.

Journalists are encourage to submit series.

n.      Columnist - Identifying the reporter, who provides discerning and rational analysis of issues evolving in the Liberian society. Such analysis must be considerate of public interest and policy, and seek to proffer solutions to societal issues.

Details & Criteria

Please consider accuracy, sourcing, balance, accountability, courage, originality, storytelling and Impact. Journalists are encourage to submit series.

  • Land Rights Reporting – Identifies the reporter, who provides awareness, follow-ups and composes significant reports and stories centering on land rights, dissemination of local and international laws on land rights, best practices, communal property rights, and approaches to resolving conflict arising from land disputes.

Details & Criteria

Please consider accuracy, sourcing, balance, accountability, courage, originality, storytelling and Impact. Journalists are encourage to submit series.

 

p. Extractive Industry - Identifies the reporter, who provides awareness, and other information about this relatively new sector, the extractive industry. The reporter must take into account current realities, prospects, and challenges facing the sector, including whether or not minerals extracted are used for the common good.  It also considers accurate dissemination of local and international laws governing the industry.

Details & Criteria

Please consider accuracy, sourcing, balance, accountability, courage, originality, storytelling and Impact. Journalists are encourage to submit series.

q. Humanitarian Reporting- Identifies the reporter, who provides awareness, and other information about disaster management & relief. The reporter must take into account current realities, conditions of victims of disaster, good community behavior avoiding disaster and avoid inflammatory subjects during disaster response and awareness.  It also considers accurate dissemination of local and international laws, conventions & protocols on humanitarian response & rules of war.

 

 

 

2.      Institutional awards

a.      Radio Station of the Year – The PUL Radio Station of the Year honors a Liberian News Entity which has served the public with diverse, independent, impartial and accountable contents with a resulting impact on the state.

The Press Union of Liberia has continuously celebrated news organizations that hold ideals of journalistic excellence – accuracy, independence, accountability, courage and originality in works – with this annual award.

Details and Criteria

Accuracy, Independence, Accountability, Courage and Originality

This is reflected through compliance with laws, professional affinity with the Press Union of Liberia and a basis for education and mental change for Liberia. This is determined through peer evaluation and consumer participation.

b.      Community Radio Station of the Year– the PUL Community Radio of the Year honors a Liberian News Entity which has served the public with diverse, independent, impartial and accountable contents with a resulting impact on the state.

The Press Union of Liberia has continuously celebrated news organizations that hold ideals of journalistic excellence – accuracy, independence, accountability, courage and originality in works – with this annual award.

Details & Criteria

Accuracy, Independence, Accountability, Courage and Originality

This is reflected through compliance with laws, professional affinity with the Press Union of Liberia and a foundation for education and mental change for the community. This is determined through peer evaluation and public participation.

c.      Newspaper of the Year– The PUL Newspaper of the Year honors a Liberian News Entity which has served the public with diverse, independent, impartial and accountable contents with a resulting impact on the state.

The Press Union of Liberia has continuously celebrated news organizations that hold ideals of journalistic excellence – accuracy, independence, accountability, courage and originality in works – with this annual award.

Details & Criteria

Accuracy, Independence, Accountability, Courage and Originality

This is reflected through compliance with laws, professional affinity with the Press Union of Liberia and a source of education and change for Liberia. This is determined through peer evaluation and public participation.

d.      TV Station of the Year - The PUL Television Station of the Year honors a Liberian News Entity which has served the public with diverse, independent, impartial and accountable contents with a resulting impact on the state.

The Press Union of Liberia has continuously celebrated news organizations that hold ideals of journalistic excellence – accuracy, independence, accountability, courage and originality in works – with this annual award.

Details & Criteria

Accuracy, Independence, Accountability, Courage and Originality

This is reflected through compliance with laws, professional affinity with the Press Union of Liberia, with the intent of using education to change the Liberian mentality. This is determined through peer evaluation and public participation.

 

e.      Journalist of the Year – The PUL Journalist of the Year honors a Liberian Journalist who has served the public good with diversity, independence, impartiality and accountability his/her work during the period under review which positively impacted the state.

The Press Union of Liberia is delighted to continue the celebration of individuals who works are helping the better the livelihood of ordinary Liberians. These works must hold ideals of excellence in journalism – accuracy, independence, accountability, courage and originality in works – with this annual award.

 Details and Criteria

Accuracy, Independence, Accountability, Courage and Originality

This is reflected through compliance with the ethics of Journalism, laws, professional affinity with the Press Union of Liberia, a role model for youth, and an exemplary example for emulation. This is determined through peer evaluation and public participation. 

Lifetime Achievement Award

The award recognizes an individual who has made a groundbreaking lifetime contribution to journalism in Liberia. The honoree will have exhibited, throughout his/her career, a commitment to the highest journalistic standards and ideals. His/her work and contribution to the field and society should serve as a model that inspires excellence in others.

Criteria for the Lifetime Achievement Award:

Among the items to be considered are:

  •   Body of journalistic work during career
  •     Contribution to society through outstanding journalism
  •  Recognition and respect from peers and community

 

MAKE YOUR NOMINATION USING THE FORM

 The winner will be selected by a jury and presented at the annual PUL Awards on 21STJune 2019.

Note: The Awards Committee will distribute Entry forms for the Institutional, Lifetime and the Journalist of the Year Awards to be filled out, sealed up by media houses and submitted to the below address. Public  participation will be announced as soon as arrangement are sorted out with the appropriate GSM Company.

 

 

 
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