LOC16:28
13:28 GMT
KUWAIT, Oct 21 (KUNA) -- This year's contest of the Award for Journalistic Excellence, named after Sheikh Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, got underway on Tuesday under the slogan "Together We Work for an Effective Media," said chairman of the Award's committee Ayman Al-Ali at a press conference held at KUNA's headquarters.
He said the contest has a come a long way since its inception seven years ago to promote excellence in the local media, having given this award to local media workers who have shown talent and poise in their daily journalistic endeavors.
He added that the committee he chairs has been keen on boosting the status of the award by concluding a number of agreements with well-regarded media outlets such as local and regional newspapers and broadcast stations, among them the Lebanese Al-Nahar and Sout Lebnan newspapers and MTV television channel and the Qatari Al-Jazeera Channel.
Recent contest awardees, he said, were given the opportunity by the committee to attend media enhancement courses at the American University of Kuwait and other such courses in conjunction with the United Nations Development Program.
The successive success of this award has allowed expanding its categories to include best TV host or presenter and best TV report in the audiovisual branch of journalism.
Winners of first and second places in this category will win KD 800 and KD 600, respectively.
There are five conditions to compete in these two categories (ie. best TV host and report), Al-Ali explained.
Items submitted for the competition should not have been published before January 1, 2014; they should not have been in pervious awards; they should focus on local themes and issues, and participants should be of Kuwaiti nationality and not over 30 years of age.
He said a number of the winners from the youth category will be sent to train at Al-Jazeera TV Channel in Qatar and some Lebanese media institutions.
The contest is divided into General and Youth categories where participants will compete to win: best new report, best investigative report, best interview and best photo.
They should be written in Arabic and no less than 400 words for KUNA journalists and not less than 600 words for journalists from other local media institutes.
Submissions can be done, initially, through KUNA's website until entrants complete their paperwork and hand it over in person to one of the Award's centers. (end)
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