The European Commission has announced the launch of the contest “Young Reporters Against Poverty”, inviting all journalism students in EU Member States to send in a report on development issues to be selected to cover the European Development Days in Brussels in December. Works can be submitted by 29 October.

The Young Reporters Against Poverty contest, organised in cooperation with the European Journalism Centre, is an initiative targeting journalism students in EU Member States with the purpose of raising their interest for development issues. Journalism students wishing to take part are invited to submit a written or radio report on EU and development by 29 October.

This contest is being kicked off at a key moment for development cooperation, with only five years left until the 2015 deadline to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the European Union has renewed its commitment to development at the United Nations summit in New York to accelerate progress towards the MDGs.

Young Reporters Against Poverty contest

Based on the reports received by the Commission and on the application form, 33 selected applicants will be invited to participate in a workshop during the European Development Days in Brussels in December. The final winners will be invited to a field trip to one of the Delegations of Commission's partner countries in Africa.

During the workshop, the journalism students will report live from the Development Days on a dedicated website and possibly also report for national and local media in their home countries. Based on the quality and originality of the media items produced, participants will have the opportunity to win an award at the end of the competition in the categories:

• Best Written Reportage(s)
• Best Radio Reportage(s)
• Most Original News Reporting(s)

Works will be selected by a jury composed of journalists and teachers in journalism from the EU Member States.

• 29 October: Deadline for submitting reports and application
• Beginning of November: Selection of participants for the workshop during the European Development Days
• 4-7 December: Workshop in Brussels reporting on the European Development Days
• 14 December: Deadline for participants to submit their best reports
• Mid January 2011: Announcement of the final winners

Early July, the Commission also launched, for the second year in a row, the sister contest Music Against Poverty which is targeting young musicians in the Member States to express themselves on the fight against poverty in the world. Songs can be submitted until 17 October, the international day for the Eradication of Poverty.