Eligibility:

  • All entries should be able to demonstrate impact on a U.S. audience either because they were broadcast on U.S. TV, published in the U.S., or have been on theatrical general release in commercial cinemas in the U.S. If only available online, they must have originated in the U.S. and/or were demonstrably marketed to and/or consumed by a U.S. audience. All entries must be in English (or subtitled in English).
  • Work must have been published or broadcast for the first time between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2018.
  • All entries must be submitted online. 
  • The closing date for entries is February 22nd, 2019. No entries will be accepted after this.

Judging criteria:

Our judges are journalists from across broadcast, print, and online media, and the judging panels are chaired by members of the Amnesty Media Team. The panel will be looking for excellence in human rights media, judged by the following criteria:

Relevance:

Entries will be judged for how well they:

  • Fit the category description (please see separate document for individual category titles and descriptions).
  • Expose human rights issues.
  • Introduce human rights topics to the outlet’s audiences, either for the first time, or in a fresh and an innovative way.
  • Are engaging and appropriate for the audience for which they are intended.
  • Include case studies or firsthand witness accounts or testimonials.
  • Are well-crafted and responsibly produced.

Entries will be judged for how well they:

  • Are well researched and accurate.
  • Are balanced and fair.
  • Contain high production and editorial values.
  • Show care and consideration for those whose stories are being told.

Reach and Impact:

The following are not essential, but will be given consideration

  • Total audience reached.
  • A wide demographic audience reached, particularly those less likely to be well-informed about human rights.
  • Additional media coverage or policy change resulting from the piece.
  • For students, it is accepted that entries may have limited reach if they are produced as part of a journalism course. They will be judged on the understanding and sensitivity shown by the entry and for potential as a human rights journalist.

Copyright:

Media awards entries may be used or reproduced by Amnesty International USA to promote the Amnesty International USA Media Awards. This includes being used in promotional materials for the awards, on the AIUSA website, at the awards ceremony and other AIUSA events, and in other AIUSA communications.

Shortlist and Winners:

The shortlist will be published on the AIUSA website and all entries will be informed by email. The winners will be announced at the Media Awards ceremony.


Disclaimer:

It is the responsibility of the entrant to provide complete, accurate information about the entry. Amnesty International shall not be liable for errors or omissions in the entry forms or credit information. If the entry form is inaccurate and incomplete, if the entry does not meet the eligibility requirements, or if it is deemed ineligible for any other reason, then the entry will be disqualified. 

The decision of the judges is final and no discussion can be entered into regarding the final results.


How to Enter:

Once online, you will be asked to submit your entries either as:

  • PDFs (print/photography entries)
  • URL (online entries)
  • By uploading files ideally as MP3 or MP4 (audio/film entries) to our viewing platform.

When you enter, you will be given a unique entry number. Please include this in the name of the file name to help us identify the file and entry.

Please note: we do not require high res or HD versions at this stage as these will only be used for shortlisters to view online. If you are shortlisted, we will come back to you to request higher resolution versions to show during the ceremony if necessary.