Xinhua launches Excellence in Journalism Global Awards

China’s state-owned global news organization, Xinhua News Agency, has invited the Samoa Observer Newsmedia Group (SONG) to take part in its Global Awards for Excellence in Journalism initiative.

Launched by China’s Beijing-based World Media Summit Secretariat, “the awards are the first comprehensive news awards covering multiple media formats, including press, photography, video and integrated media,” Xinhua’s Suva Bureau Chief Correspondent, Philip Liu, says in his letter of invitation.

He explains: “The awards are designed to become an authoritative, credible and globally influential news showcase; they are open to news agencies, newspapers, TV stations and news websites around the world.

“The WMS Global Awards for Excellence honor the “TRUTH, OBJECTIVITY and EXCELLENCE” in journalism.”

They are intended “to encourage all people working in the media sector to keep honing their professional skills and pursue excellence, while inspiring media setups to work with the times in the spirit of innovation.”

Mr. Liu says participation “is free and winners will be given handsome prizes."

“We encourage you, your journalists and your media friends to participate,” Mr. Liu urges.

“We sincerely hope that as many media colleagues as possible from our Pacific region can participate in this event, so that more voices from this region will be heard, and excellence and professionalism of Pacific journalists will be recognized."

There are four categories:

•Awards for Public Welfare

1. Award for Exemplary News Teams in Developing Countries
This award commends media units or organizations in developing countries for their outstanding contribution to political, economic and cultural development, and to public services.

2. Award for Exemplary News Professionals in Developing Countries
This award commends media professionals in developing countries for their outstanding contribution to political, economic and cultural development, and to public services.

• Award for Media Innovation

3. This award is conferred upon the media team that has adopted innovative and creative perspectives, approaches or patterns. There is an emphasis upon taking a novel approach to traditional news practices, in terms of journalistic tools and techniques, products and services, market exploration, etc.

• Award for New Media Reporting

4. This award is conferred upon a distinguished example of news reporting that presents on new media terminals while exhibiting distinct features of new media or multimedia.

“The Secretariat will invite veteran and senior news practitioners from the Secretariat members and other world renowned media organizations, as well as experts and scholars from professional academic institutions, to act as judges,” Mr Liu’s letter says.

“They are to proceed with their work in line with prevailing international norms and with the principle of "equality and justice."

He says “the entries must have been published, released or broadcast by media organizations. Given these are the first Awards ever launched, the time frame within which entries must have been published extends by a year.”

Time frame for entry publication: Jan. 1,
2012 - Dec. 31, 2013.
Entry submission period: 00:00 GMT, Jul. 1,
2014 - 24:00 GMT, Sept. 30, 2014.

Winners announcement: November 2014.

The working language is English. There are no restrictions on the original language of the entry, but an English translation should be attached, based on which the reviews and judgment are made.

1. Registration

Entrants are required to register on the WMS official website (www.worldmediasummit.org) after providing the necessary personal information. Personal information is only for reference within the WMS Secretariat, and will not be supplied to any third party without entrants' approval. Entrants can log in at any time and submit new entries within the prescribed time for submission. They can also revise personal information and check entries’ status (such as "submitted").

2. Submission of Entries

Entries can be submitted at www.worldmediasummit.org. Please follow the online guidance to process your submission(s). You can click "save" to preserve unfinished entries. The entry will not be uploaded unless you click "submit." Once submitted, entries cannot be revised or altered.
Entry Rules

1. Eligible entrants refer to professional media practitioners working in authentic news agencies, newspapers, TV stations and Internet network institutions from all countries and regions. User-generated websites and social media, such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Wechat, micro-blogs and Wikis, are not included.

2. There is no entry fee.

3. Entries are submitted online. All entrants should register on the official website www.worldmediasummit.org before submitting entries. All information provided by the entrant must be genuine.

4. All submitted works should have been released, published or broadcast by relevant institutions. No entry can participate in any other international news award competitions before the winners of the WMS Global Awards for Excellence are announced in November this year.

5. Entrant must be the principal writer or one of the writers of the entries. For team awards, one entrant should be selected as a representative to undergo registration and entry submission.

6. English is the sole working language. Non-English entries should be accompanied by an English translation, based on which the reviews and judgment are made. Entrants are responsible for the credibility of the translation.

7. Entries should not cover sensitive issues such as disputed state sovereignty and religion, nor contain false speech and/or images, nor involve violence, pornography, bloodstained scene and/or other unhealthy conducts.
Entries which do not observe these rules and do not conform to the prerequisites and technical requirements will be disqualified.
If an awarded entry is found to have been involved in any of the above-mentioned misconducts, the WMS Secretariat will rescind its qualification and remove the entry from the WMS's official website.

8. Entrants should either be copyright holders or have been authorized by the copyright holder(s) to enter the contest.

It is the responsibility of the entrants to ensure there will be no controversies from a third party over the publication, reproduction or transmission of the entries submitted. Entrants will be wholly responsible for any legal liabilities initiated by a third party over an entry.

9. If entries have been previously questioned on their authenticity and justice, entrants should underline the parts questioned and provide a response.

10. The submission of entries indicates that WMS has been authorized to use them on various occasions without any payment. Entrants of awarded entries automatically authorize WMS to use them in various activities sponsored or organized by WMS without any payment. WMS retains the right to ask for more electronic data from entrants to meet the needs of future exhibitions and events promotion. WMS has the obligation to respect the signature rights of entrants and copyright holders.

11. The sign-in of entrants to the contest constitutes an agreement to adhere to the Entry Rules. No entry can be withdrawn for any reason once it enters the judging procedure.

12. Submitted entries will not be returned. The WMS secretariat holding the entries is in the position to dispose them after they have been used as per the rules.
Terms and Conditions

Upon sign-in to participate in the WMS Global Awards for Excellence, the entrants are deemed to have read and understood the Terms and Conditions and be in agreement with them.

1. Entrants agree and acknowledge that the WMS Secretariat has the right to obtain registration information and use it within necessary spheres.

2. The WMS Secretariat reserves the right to rescind an entry or disqualify the entrant unless entries conform to the following basic requirements:

A. Entries are submitted by eligible entrants;

B. Entrants are the copyright holder. If entrants are co-producers, they must all enter the contest. If one of the co-producers acts as the entrant, he or she owns the right of publication;

C. All personages appearing in and related to the entry agree to the submission;

D. Entries do not involve content that might give rise to civil or criminal cases, or involve such unhealthy conducts as intimidation, misleading information, insult, malice, harassment, slander, vulgarity, obscenity, gossip mongering, sex and/or pornography;

E. There is no infringement on others' copyright, rights of image, trademark, reputation and privacy and/or all other civil rights;

F. There is no commercial promotion in any form.

3. Entrants are obliged to resolve issues involving legal matters themselves and hold corresponding liabilities.

4. In case the WMS Secretariat perceives misconducts violating the basic requirements such as counterfeit and rights, it reserves the right to rescind the entry and disqualify the entrants. The WMS Secretariat also retains the right to rescind a winner's certificate while recovering any prizes given after the winners announcement.

5. Economic and reputation losses brought to the WMS Secretariat and any other side due to entrants' violation of the above-mentioned rules should be borne by the entrants.

6. To promote the ongoing event, the WMS Secretariat enjoys, though does not solely own, the right to use the entries upon their submission. It also enjoys the right to allow media organizations the world over to use the entries for reporting, including using them in the following circumstances and/or on the following occasions:

A. For the ongoing WMS Global News Award competition;

B. As exhibits of awarded entries;

C. For publication by newspapers and websites related to the Global News Awards competition;

D. Promotional materials for other competitions and exhibitions;

E. For publication of other printed materials related to competitions and exhibitions;

F. For publications of entries' derivatives;

G. For display on computers and all other portable devices.

7. The WMS Secretariat has the right to use the name and image of entrants in ads and promotional activities related to the competition without payment.

8. The WMS Secretariat requests that entrants provide more electronic data to meet the needs of publication, exhibition and other derivative printed matters.

9. The WMS Secretariat should indicate the names of entries when using them. However, the Secretariat will not hold any responsibility due to insufficient information provided and/or the failure to obtain the relevant information when efforts have been made.

10. The WMS Secretariat is not responsible for any damage or loss that may occur during the upload of entries.

11. Entrants are responsible for the risks incurred during the submitting of personal information and entries. The Secretariat shall not be responsible for any errors, such as missing, flawed, delayed and/or distorted information due to technical breakdown, viruses or illegal online invasion.

12. The WMS Secretariat shall not be responsible for the submission of entries to wrong terminals due to entrants' wrong operation or other technical problems of web service providers.

13. Entrants should take effective measures to protect their entries, guarding against any illegal use or access by third parties.

14. Under no circumstances shall the Secretariat be responsible for the losses (direct or indirect) incurred to entrants after participating in the competition via the Internet.

15. The decisions of the panel of judges are final and no correspondence will be entered into.