2020 SADC Media Awards Competition

he SADC Secretariat announces the launch of the 2020 SADC Media Awards Competition. The annual SADC Media Awards Competition was launched in 1996 by the SADC Council of Ministers with a view to promoting regional integration through information dissemination as well as promoting journalism excellence in the region.

Regional integration, in the context of this competition, refers to inter alia: programmes, projects and activities supportive of the SADC common agenda involving, benefitting and/or affecting at least two SADC Member States.

The Awards are in the fields of Print Journalism, Radio Journalism, Television Journalism and Photo Journalism.
Rules of the Competition
a) The entries should have been published/broadcast between January and December of the year preceding the awards (2019) by a registered and/or authorised media house or agency or carried on a website of a registered and/or authorised media house or agency in any of the SADC Member States;
b) The themes of the entries to be submitted for the competition must be on issues and activities promoting Regional Integration in the SADC region i.e. Infrastructure, economy, water, culture, sports, agriculture etc;
c) All media practitioners who are SADC nationals may enter the competition, except those in institutions contracted by SADC and the SADC Secretariat staff;
d) All works entering the competition should be in one of the SADC working languages, i.e. English, Portuguese, French, or any national indigenous language of the SADC region and should be submitted together with the transcript in one of the three SADC working languages, i.e. English, French and Portuguese. These should be published/broadcast (newspaper cutting, websites, magazines, audio CDs, USB and newsletters);
e) Entries are invited from the following categories:
(i) Print Journalism: comprising features/articles published in newspapers, newsletters, websites, magazines;
Print journalism submissions should have a minimum of 100 (one hundred) words and a maximum of 2 000 (two thousand) words.
(ii) Radio Journalism: comprising broadcast material;
Radio Journalism broadcast material should have a minimum duration of 1 (one) minute and a maximum of 30 (thirty) minutes. All broadcast material should be submitted on a CD or USB. The entries should be accompanied by electronic transcript in word format for translation purposes.

(iii) Television Journalism: comprising televised material;
Television Journalism broadcast material should have a minimum duration of 1 (one) minute and a maximum of forty-five (45) minutes. All broadcast material should be submitted on a CD or USB. The entries should be accompanied by electronic transcript in word format for translation purposes.
(iv) Photo journalism: comprising published pictures with a caption;
Photographic entries should have one (1) photo or a pictorial spread of not more than twenty (20) photos published in one issue/edition. Each entry must be accompanied by an original newspaper in which photo(s) were published.
f) All entries must be submitted to the National Adjudication Committee not later than February 28, 2020;
g) All submissions must be made strictly on the SADC Media Awards Entry Form and should contain full contact details of the entrant, including passport-sized photograph, physical address, telephone and, where applicable, fax number and e-mail address;
h) Entries will be initially screened and judged by the National Adjudication Committee in each Member State, which will select the best entry in each of the four categories to be forwarded to the Regional Adjudication Committee (RAC), through the SADC Secretariat.
i) Selection of the best regional entries will be decided upon by the RAC;
j) The decision of the RAC shall be final;
k) The first prize winners will be announced and receive their prizes during the 40th SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government;
l) The awards will include Print, Radio, Television and Photo Journalism. Each category carries a first prize of US $2,500;
m) The runner-ups in each category will receive a second prize of US $1000 and will receive the prize money and certificates in their respective countries through their National Contact Point;
n) The monetary prizes will be accompanied by a Certificate signed by the SADC Chairperson;

o) The prizes will be paid directly to the winner. In case of a winner being unable to attend the ceremony, SADC will make arrangements to give the prize in his/her home country.

p) The RAC reserves the right not to award a prize in any of the categories if the entries do not satisfactorily meet the competition requirements.

Further information and entry forms are obtainable from:
Government Information Service
Prime Minister’s Office
Level 6
New Government Centre
Port Louis
Tel No. 201 2811