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Scotland: Media Awards 2008 launched

ENTRIES INVITED FOR ANNUAL MEDIA AWARDS

Amnesty International is inviting entries for its 17th annual Media Awards, which recognise excellence in journalism that has made a significant contribution to the UK public’s greater awareness and understanding of human rights issues. An additional Scottish Prize will be awarded to the best Scottish entrant to the competition.

Two new categories have been added this year and an additional periodicals award will be made. The list of categories for these sought-after awards now comprises:

- International TV and Radio (NEW)*

- New media (NEW)**

- Television documentary and docudrama

- Television news

- Radio

- National newspapers

- Periodicals, two awards***

- Photojournalism

- Nations and regions: print or broadcast media in Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and the English regions

- Gaby Rado Memorial Award: for an up-and-coming journalist who has been covering human rights stories for less than five years.

*For an entry seen or heard on a channel that has a broadcast platform in the UK and is available internationally.

**For content published for the first time on a UK-based website, including news, features and comment or debate, audio and visual material.

*** For an article or series of up to three articles (if part of a publicised series) published in a magazine-style weekly or monthly UK newspaper supplement AND for an article or articles, fulfilling the same criteria, published in a UK consumer periodical.

The winners in 2007 were:

Television documentary and docudrama: Execution of a Teenage Girl, BBC / Wild - Pictures - Paul Hamann, Monica Garnsey, Lucy Hetherington

Television news: China Organ Transplants, BBC Ten O’Clock News - Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, Bessie Du, Al Go

Radio: Dispatches from Gaza, BBC News - Alan Johnston, BBC Gaza Bureau

National newspapers: Congo’s Tragedy, The Independent - Johann Hari

Periodicals: The Big Steal, Guardian Weekend Magazine - Jonathan Watts

Photojournalism: Acid attacks in Bangladesh, EI8HT Magazine - Andrew Testa

Nations and regions: Haunted, The Herald Magazine - Lucy Adams

Gaby Rado Memorial Award: Ghaith Abdul-Ahad - The Guardian

A self-taught reporter and photojournalist, Ghaith was nominated for his first-hand reports from Iraq and Lebanon, which were dominated by the voices of local people.

This year Amnesty will also be presenting its 6th annual Scottish Prize- which all Scottish entrants to the above categories are automatically entered for.

John Watson, Amnesty International’s Programme Director, Scotland, said: “We are encouraging Scottish journalists to participate in this event in order to celebrate the significant contribution the Scottish media has made to human rights issues and awareness.“

The closing date for receipt of this year’s entries is Monday 31 March.

Entries must have been published or broadcast for the first time in the UK between

30 March 2007 and 24 March 2008. For further information about criteria and eligibility, guidelines and entry forms visit www.amnesty.org.uk/awards ,email: media.awards@amnesty.org.uk , or telephone 020 7033 1554.

For more information or for answers on any queries you may have in regards to Scottish media applications for the Awards, please contact:

John Watson, Tel. 0131 313 7012, John.Watson@Amnesty .org.uk

Visit: www.amnesty.org.uk /span>

For the Nations and regions award, these national contacts are available to answer queries:

• Scotland

John Watson 0131 313 7012

john.watson@amnesty.org.uk

• Northern Ireland

Fionna Smyth 028 9064 3000

fionna.smyth@amnesty.org.uk

• Wales

Cathy Owens 029 2078 6415

cathy.owens@amnesty.org.uk

• England

Samuel Jones 020 7033 1554

samuel.jones@amnesty.org.uk

For more media information:

Mike Blakemore, Tel. 020 7033 1546, mike.blakemore@amnesty.org.uk /span>

Out of hours: 07721 398984

Visit: www.amnesty.org.uk /span>

ENDS

John Watson

Programme Director, Scotland

Amnesty International

Rosebery House

9 Haymarket Terrace

Edinburgh, EH12 5EZ

0844 800 9088

To sign up for our monthly e-mail update, giving a quick user-friendly guide to the latest news from Amnesty Scotland, visit www.amnesty.org.uk/scotland

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