Amnesty International UK today unveiled the shortlist for the 2012 Student Human Rights Reporter of the Year.

The competition forms one of the categories in the prestigious Amnesty International Media Awards and is run in conjunction with NUS.

The shortlisted students will be invited to attend the Media Awards ceremony on 29 May, alongside 500 of the nation’s top media names. The winner will be presented with their award at the event and be offered two weeks’ work experience with the Daily Mirror.

The three students shortlisted are:

• Paul Dharamraj, 24, from Cardiff University
• Amy McKinnon, 22, from University of Glasgow
• Boel Marcks von Wurtemberg, 22, from University of Stirling.

Kate Allen, Director of Amnesty International UK, said:

“Journalism plays a fundamental role in the exposure of human rights abuses across the globe.

“The overwhelming response to this year’s competition demonstrates the continuing commitment of the UK’s students to this cause.

“This award celebrates their outstanding work and we hope that it will inspire them to become the human rights journalists of tomorrow.”

The competition was open to all students in the UK. Written entries had to be up to 2,000 words in length. Broadcast entries had to be up to 10 minutes long. Both had to have been broadcast or published between 1 September 2011 and 1 March 2012.

The shortlisted entries were chosen by a panel of judges including Guy Gunaratne, founder of the award-winning documentary company CODOC, and respected BBC journalist Sean Coughlan.

Shortlists for the other 10 categories will be announced at the start of May, and all the winners will be unveiled on 29 May.