Journalism for an Equitable Asia Award

Asia and Pacific showed the biggest billionaire wealth and growth in the world last year, now with 906 billionaires owning nearly 3 trillion dollars in wealth. In contrast, 1.2 billion Asians are struggling to make ends meet. Women and girls and other groups without a strong voice suffer the worst. Impacts of the climate crisis have seen an increase in disasters across Asia, and they hit those disadvantaged the hardest.

As thought leaders and creators, journalists have the skills and voice to expose social issues of inequality to build the public’s understanding and support for equality, human rights, and sustainability. There are many journalists across Asia who report to fight the injustice of inequality and poverty. Journalism for an Equitable Asia Award aims to recognize them and encourage more journalists to write for a fairer Asia that works for all its people.

The award is launched in seven countries across Asia: Bangladesh, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Criteria for Nomination
Journalists and readers, on behalf of their favorite journalists, can submit nominations provided they meet the following criteria:

1. Written English articles of a minimum of 650 words in length published in print or digital platforms. Journalists may also submit articles published in other languages with a mandatory English translation.
2. Journalists writing two or more pieces published on the theme of inequality from 1st January 2019 to 31st January 2020 will be eligible.
3. The nominated articles should cover how inequality affects people from across Asia. It may cover any of the following themes: economic inequality, women’s rights, public services, taxation, climate justice, etc. They may also discuss practices and policies that contribute to building a fairer Asia.

Awards nominations must be submitted online: http://bit.ly/JournalismEquitableAsiaAward

Selection Process

The Judging Panel will be made up of five people, who are media, inequality experts and representatives from the Asia Centre, Oxfam International, and Civil Society partners. The nominated articles will be judged based on the following criteria:
 

• Thematic Relevance(40%)
  Does the article tackle issues of inequality? Is the topic relevant and important to the country/region concerned? Is the discussion of the issues well supported by evidence?
   
• Social Relevance (35%)
  Does the topic address a concern relevant to society? Does it accurately reflect the affected communities’ voices and concerns? Does the topic identify causes leading to the specific inequality and what can be done to address the issues?
   
• Value Alignment (10%)
  Does it advocate for a more equitable society? Does it tackle inequality through the lenses of helping/empowering those worst affected? Does the article evoke a call for action?
   
• Technical (15%)
  Is the article well researched and evidence-based? Is the article and analysis well-structured and rational? Is the article presented in a way that is easily understood by the reader?

The deadline for the submission of nominations is on January 31, 2020. The top 3 winners will receive a cash prize and will be awarded on March 27-28, 2020 in Bangkok, Thailand. Top ten journalists will also be invited to participate in the Journalism for an Equitable Asia Forum following the awarding ceremony.