Who will win the first Red Cross Award for Humanitarian Reporting?

By ICRC Manila
April 29, 2011

MANILA  –  The winners of the Red Cross Award for Humanitarian Reporting – the first journalism contest organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Philippine Red Cross – will finally be revealed on May 7, 2011.

The winners will be announced in the awarding ceremony slated at 1:30 p.m. in Richmonde Hotel, Ortigas, Pasig City. Around 23 finalists from the print, online and TV/radio media from different regions will attend the event, and officials from ICRC and PRC.

Profiles of the finalists, which include veteran mainstream and community journalists, may be viewed through www.redcross.org.ph/feature/humanitarianreportingaward2011

The competition launched on 12 August 2010 aims to promote responsible reporting of conflict situations by highlighting the plight of those affected by it.

"Journalists and humanitarian organizations have a common responsibility to ensure that those who are not fighting will be spared, and have a chance to lead normal life. The Red Cross Award is given to journalists who try to build a better future for people often forgotten or dismissed as 'collateral damage' of war," said Anastasia Isyuk, ICRC's communication coordinator.

Aside from ICRC and PRC, the judges hail from the contest's partner-organizations: International News Safety Institute, Peace and Conflict Journalism Network, Philippine Association of Communication Educators, and Rotary Club of Manila.

Guest judges include veteran journalists Vergel Santos of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility; and Rey Hulog, executive director of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas.

The entries were screened on focus and date of coverage, after which 15 judges from partner-organizations and guest judges critiqued the finalists based on: evidence of research (30 percent); sourcing (20 percent); coherence/ organization (20 percent); style and presentation (15 percent); and conflict-sensitive reporting (15 percent).

Apart from the awarding ceremony, a program starting at 9 a.m. will delve into challenges on conflict reporting, and how best to address them.