“Eurasia Media-Centre” with the associations of journalists of Russia and Eurasian countries, with the support of the UNESCO Moscow Office and International Academy of Television and Radio announces the  Fourth International Contest of photographs, television spots, videos, and documentaries "Report which changed the future".

The main goal of the Contest is to join efforts of journalists of Eurasian countries to promote freedom of expression and access to information through the media.

Evaluation of submitted materials will be done by the Jury in accordance with the following criteria:

• relevance of the topic;
• civic attitude of the author;
• artistic value.

Special prize will honour media outlet (editorial staff) that consistently promotes freedom of information.

Entry Requirements

All the materials for the Contest should be submitted to the selection panel by April 10, 2010.

To commemorate World Press Freedom Day 2010, an exhibition of photos and public screening of the best TV works as well as the award ceremony will be organized in Moscow in May 2010. The winners in all nominations will be invited to Moscow to attend the exhibition opening as well as the award ceremony. The Contest is open for professional journalists, photographers, news agencies and editorial staff representing post-Soviet countries.

Each work should be accompanied by a separate application form, consisting of a short autobiography of the author (with contact address and telephone numbers) and information about the represented media outlet. The information on the airtime is required for television programs.

The works must be presented in the following format:

Requirements for the photographs in printed form:

• photographs should be submitted in exhibition format – (size may vary from 30x40 cm to 50x70 cm);

• both color or black and white photographs are accepted;

• photographs should be submitted without borders, frames or any other design elements.

Requirements for the photographs in electronic form:

• photo materials can be provided by e-mail or on electronic media;

• accepted formats: JPEG, BMP or TIFF;

• size of photos must be at least 150 dpi, 1500X 2000.

Requirements for the video:

• videos, television spots and documentaries should be submitted on DVD.

All materials should be accompanied by interlinear translation into Russian.

The submitted works will not be returned to any entrant or reviewed.

The Organizers of the Contest reserve the right to publish the submitted works in printed and electronic materials related to the Contest.

Please send your submissions to the following address: “Eurasia Media-Centre”, 119991, Moscow, Zubovskiy bulvar, building 4, suite 448, entrance of Russian Journalist Union, with mark  “For the competition "Report which changed the future".

The photographs can be sent in electronic form by e-mail: Данный адрес e-mail защищен от спам-ботов, Вам необходимо включить Javascript для его просмотра.

E-mail:  Данный адрес e-mail защищен от спам-ботов, Вам необходимо включить Javascript для его просмотра.

Web-site: http://www.eurasia-media.ru

Telephone numbers:

 (495) 637-77-70, 

(495) 637-52-91.

 More Information on World Press Freedom Day 2010

This World Press Freedom Day, whose theme is Freedom of Information, offers us an occasion to remember the importance of our right to know.
Freedom of Information is the principle that organisations and governments have a duty to share or provide ready access to information they hold, to anyone who wants it, based on the public’s right to be informed.
The right to know is central for upholding other basic rights, for furthering transparency, justice and development. Hand-in-hand with the complementary notion of freedom of expression, it underpins democracy.
We may not consciously exercise our right to know. But each time we pick up a newspaper, turn on the TV or radio news, or go on the Internet, the quality of what we see or hear depends on these media having access to accurate and up to date information.
Obstacles in the way of our right to know take many forms, from a lack of resources and inadequate infrastructure to deliberate obstruction.
Far too many journalists exercise their profession in an environment where restrictions on information are the norm, where dealing with pressure, harassment intimidation or even physical assault are all in a day’s work.
Last year UNESCO condemned the killing of 77 journalists. For the most part these were not war casualties but local reporters covering local stories.
I invite all those commemorating World Press Freedom Day around the globe to observe a minute of silence: to remember those whom it is too late to help; to honour the journalists who paid with their lives for our right to know.
But today let us also acknowledge the significant advances that have been made.
More and more countries around the world are adopting freedom of information legislation. This makes it easier to scrutinize government actions, and it reinforces public accountability.
Meanwhile faster and cheaper technology means that more people in the world have ready access to information from outside their immediate environment than ever before.
Now is the time for us to capitalise on these advances, by strengthening institutions, by providing the necessary training for information professionals, by fostering greater open-ness within our public sectors and greater awareness among the public.
I call on governments, civil society, the news media and individuals everywhere to join forces with UNESCO in promoting Freedom of Information all over the world.

Irina Bokova