2021 SOUTHERN AFRICA MEDIA AWARD IN SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORTING
Highway Africa, together with the Partnership for Social Accountability (PSA) Alliance, invites journalists in Southern Africa to apply for the 3rd Southern Africa Media Awards in Social Accountability Reporting 2021.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE AWARD
The award aims to encourage high-quality investigative reporting (using data journalism) on issues of social accountability, specifically on HIV / SRHR and food security in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
ABOUT THE AWARD
The award recognises three journalists from the PSA Alliance’s project countries – Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe – for their outstanding investigative reporting, using data journalism, on issues of social accountability related to one of the following categories;
- HIV and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)
- Food Security.
Applications will be examined by a panel of media experts in the region. All three winners will be invited to attend the virtual Highway Africa Conference to be held on 21-23 June 2021, where the awards will be presented.
AWARD PRIZES
Three awards will be offered as 1st prize, 2nd prize and 3rd prize.
- USD 250 for 1st prize
- USD 200 for 2nd prize
- USD 100 for 3rd prize
CRITERIA
- Eligible entries should consist of investigative data journalism reporting on issues of social accountability[i] related to HIV and sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and food security.
- Applicants must be based in Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia or Zimbabwe.
- Work must be published between March 2020 and March 2021.
- Entries can be in any language spoken in the five countries
- Entries can be in print, online, radio, TV, multimedia and photo journalism
- If submitting multiple entries either in the same category or across multiple categories, complete an entry for each story, to a maximum of two entries.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION
02 April 2021 (23:59 GMT +2)
HOW TO APPLY
Applicants are strongly encouraged to read through the following documents to fully understand the requirements for the call before applying. Late and incomplete applications will not be accepted.
- What is Data Journalism
- Social Accountability Reporting Explained
- Adjudication Criteria
- Past winners stories
- Past winners videos
Applicants should fill in the application form here >> https://forms.gle/wShvEdNt7HLamwr99
BACKGROUND OF THE PSA ALLIANCE
The Partnership for Social Accountability (PSA) Alliance, through the project ‘Strengthening Social Accountability and Oversight in Health and Agriculture in Southern Africa,’ seeks to improve public service delivery in agriculture (food security), health (HIV/AIDS, sexual and reproductive health and rights) and public resource management. This is done through strengthening the oversight and social accountability roles of five target groups in the SADC region, specifically: selected parliamentary committees, relevant government departments, issue-based civil society organisations (CSOs), smallholder farmer organisations, and the media.
With support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the project focuses on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The PSA Alliance is a consortium of organisations led by ActionAid International (AAI) and including the Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM) of Rhodes University, Eastern and Southern Africa Small Scale Farmers’ Forum (ESAFF) and SAfAIDS.
[i] Social accountability is the broad range of actions and mechanisms beyond voting that citizens can use to hold the state to account. It is accountability that relies on civic engagement, namely a situation whereby ordinary citizens and/or civil society organizations participate directly or indirectly in exacting accountability. It is the right of citizens to demand explanations & justifications for the way public resources are spent, and demand corrective action where necessary.
