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.

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.

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

• Scotland
John Watson 0131 313 7014
john.watson@amnesty.org.uk br />• Northern Ireland
Fionna Smyth 028 9064 3000
fionna.smyth@amnesty.org.uk br />• Wales
Cathy Owens 029 2078 6415
cathy.owens@amnesty.org.uk br />• England
Samuel Jones 020 7033 1554
samuel.jones@amnesty.org.uk /p>

For more media information:
Mike Blakemore, Tel. 020 7033 1546, mike.blakemore@amnesty.org.uk br />Out of hours: 07721 398984
Visit: www.amnesty.org.uk br />