PLAN International Philippines, a development and humanitarian organization, launched its first media awards last Friday, March 6, at the N Hotel, Cagayan de Oro City.
The Plan International Philippines Media Awards aims to recognize media materials highlighting inclusive and diverse stories about girls, break stereotypes and sexist portrayals of girls and women, and mainstream stories on girl power and leadership.
The media awards is part of their Girls Get Equal campaign, which started in 2019. It is a global campaign in support of girls' power, voice, participation, and leadership in over 60 countries, including the Philippines.
According to Shigemi Muramatsu, the Plan International Philippines communications specialist for content production, the Media Awards is divided in three categories: Best Film, Best Radio Feature, and Best Feature Story (Online/Print Media).
A special award, "Girl's Choice Award," will also be given to one of the finalists in any of the categories.
Plan International Philippines Media Awards is open to bona fide media practitioners, including freelance reporters and writers, and organizations in the country.
Muramatsu said that for independent news organizations, they should be operating for at least two years.
Nomination for entries may be done by participating journalists, fellow journalists, editors, publishers, and/or TV producers, directors, and scriptwriters.
Muramatsu said entries qualified for nomination are those produced from November 1 2019 to May 31, 2020.
The entries, she added, will be evaluated based on their criteria: tackles issues, rights, and demands of girls (up to years old); reflects the interests of the girls and young women's sector; demonstrates accuracy, fairness, and creativity and provides depth and context to the story; promotes problem solving as much as it highlights the conflicts in the story; and observes the highest ethical and professional standards in journalism.
Each practitioner or organization is allowed to submit multiple entries for each category. The nomination form may be downloaded through: https://tinyurl.com/planmediaawards and should be submitted via email: planphilippinesmediaawards@gmail.com or media.awards@plan-international.org.
The deadline for submission of entries will be at 5 p.m. on June 1.