• Promoting integration and intercultural dialogue

SOS Malta together with Public Broadcasting Services and the Institute of Maltese Journalists Are participating in a project, Media InterAct, co-financed through The European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals.

Media InterAct is a one-year project aimed at initiating an avenue for mainstreaming the integration and diversity of third-country nationals within the media in Malta. Its objective is that of creating incentives for the media to capture the realities and the needs of an increasingly diverse audience by providing a more accurate and balanced portrayal of third-country nationals in Malta.

The scope of the new journalism award, “Promoting Integration and Intercultural Dialogue”, is to launch a pilot competition for journalists focused on integration and diversity issues as a new element within the 22nd edition of the Malta Journalism Awards (MJA), an annual event organised by the Institute of Maltese Journalists. This award will therefore recognise the efforts and work of journalists inMaltathat contributes towards greater quality coverage of third-country nationals residing inMalta.

and topics addressing integration, diversity and intercultural dialogue in relation to third-country nationals living inMaltawithin the Maltese media. 

For the purpose of this competition, a third-country national (TCN) is a person who is not a citizen of the home or host country. In the context ofMalta, TCNs are those persons who are living inMaltabut are not nationals ofMaltaor any otherMemberStateof the European Union. In addition, asylum seekers, refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection do not fall within the scope of the European Fund for the Integration of Third Country Nationals within which the Media InterAct Project is being implemented and thus do not fall within the scope of this MJA category.

Participation guidelines

All journalists and/or contributors to the media in Malta whose work was published in any print or electronic format or broadcast on any medium (TV or radio) in Malta between 1 January, 2011, and 31 December, 2011, in Maltese or English are eligible.

Journalists/contributors may be nominated for the award by another person, including the news editor/head of news/publisher of the medium. However, the entry can only be accepted if the journalist/contributor has given his or her consent to take part.

Each participant may submit no more than three entries under this particular category.

Every participant must make their submission indicating the date of the medium, clearly indicating that the work is competing within this new category “Promoting Integration and Intercultural Dialogue”.

For print and online entries, the original print or electronic page where the item was published must be submitted, whereas for broadcast (TV or radio) entries, these must be submitted on CD or DVD along with the relevant scripts.

Participation for this particular award is free of charge.

In order to be eligible, entries must address one or both of the below:

entry included the direct participation of a third-country national residing inMalta(for example by means of an interview) thus strengthening the coverage of this target group within the Maltese media;

OR

entry covered the topic of integration, diversity and/or intercultural dialogue in relation to third-country nationals residing inMaltathus contributing towards the promotion and awareness-raising of these topics.

Important:

This is an award related to integration, diversity and intercultural dialogue, so entries that focus solely on the subject of immigration are not eligible. Entries addressing immigration must therefore also deal with issues relating to integration, diversity and intercultural dialogue.

All eligible submissions will be adjudicated by the Malta Journalism Award jury, which is made up of three persons whose identity is not revealed before the final night and are known solely by the organiser. During their evaluation, the MJA jury will be looking at the quality of the entries and will also see that these entries:

give coverage to third-country nationals residing inMalta;

promote and raise awareness about integration, diversity and intercultural dialogue in relation to third-country nationals residing inMalta;

The winner of this category will receive a cash prize of EUR 350.00, a trophy and a certificate. This award will be presented during the presentation ceremony organised by the Institute of Maltese Journalists for the 22nd edition of the Malta Journalism Awards which will take place on Saturday, 5 May, 2012, at the Palace Hotel, Sliema.

The closing date for submissions is Saturday, 4 February, 2012. Submissions must be taken to the offices of theInstituteofMaltese Journalists,Suite120(Third Floor), 280 Republic Street, Valletta VLT 1112. The three finalists of this category will be announced on Monday, 26 March, 2012, at the Palace Hotel, Sliema. 

For more information go to http://www.maltapressclub.org.mt/