European Press Prize 2020 for Excellence in Journalism

Deadline Date: December 13, 2019

Applications are open for the European Press Prize 2020 for Excellence in Journalism. Quality journalism is of vital importance to healthy democracies, especially in a time when information is omnipresent. Unfortunately, because of a transforming, pressured market and fragile press freedom – quality has become increasingly difficult to maintain.

To help counter the effects of these transformations was one of the reasons the European Press Prize was envisioned. Formed by seven independent European foundations with strong media connections, all of which count excellence and public service as part of their collective challenge. The aim is simple: to salute and encourage journalism of the highest quality wherever it can be found on the continent of Europe. Journalists from all 47 countries of Europe as defined by the Council of Europe are eligible to enter their work.

Categories

The European Press Prize is awarded in four different categories:

• The Investigative Reporting Award: For the individual or team effort which has done most to unearth facts that the public – and society – has a right to know;
• The Distinguished Reporting Award: For the best reportage and feature writing illuminating vital issues at home and abroad;
• The Opinion Award: For the commentator, columnist or editor whose work has made a decisive impact;
• The Innovation Award: For the idea – presentational, technical or in terms of editorial techniques – that has made a clear contribution to journalism’s future;
• The Special Prize: From 2013, the judges will be empowered to award a special prize for particular excellence in editing or any other discipline, including reporting, feature write and advocacy.

Award

• Each award is for 10,000 Euros, to be spent wherever possible on a personal project that may, in turn, enrich the practice of journalism.

Eligibility

• Any journalist that works in or is from any of the 47 countries of the Council of Europe is eligible to compete in the European Press Prize.
• Journalists working in Europe and journalists writing for a European media organisation or blog can submit their work.

Rules

• Articles can be a maximum of 5000 words in all. Going beyond that puts a heavy strain on translation resources.
• For authors submitting articles for the Investigative Reporting Award, Distinguished Reporting Award, and Innovation Award, only one article may be submitted per author.
• For the Opinion Award, up to three articles may be submitted per author.
• Publish date should be between December 1, 2018 and December 31, 2019.

Application

• Entries should be submitted digitally by completing the application form. Only complete forms can be entered. Articles must be submitted in both PDF/JPEG and Word doc. format.
• If you have an English translation, please submit as well.

Click here to enter

For more information, visit European Press Prize.