The European Commission yesterday (4 May) launched the Lorenzo Natali Media Prize 2015, which rewards exceptional contributions by journalists who report on development with special focus on poverty alleviation. This year’s Lorenzo Natali Media Prize, whose motto is “Today’s stories can change our tomorrow”, coincides with the 2015 European Year for Development. The prize gives reporters and journalists in the development community an opportunity to showcase their work and thus help improve the lives of people in their own communities.
For the first time, the prize will also be open to amateur journalists including bloggers. The idea to include amateur journalists was inspired by the Arab Spring when freelance and independent journalists gave people the possibility to shape public opinion and thus have a major influence on political developments. EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica, commented that “the aim of the European Year for Development is to inform EU citizens about development cooperation by highlighting the results that the EU has achieved as the world’s largest donor”.
The Lorenzo Natali Prize was established in 1992 by the European Commission in memory of Lorenzo Natali, former Commissioner for Development and a defender of democracy, human rights, development and freedom of expression. With press freedom still being under threat in many parts of the world, the EU is committed to strive to support this vital pillar of democracy.
The prize is a means to recognize the important contribution of journalists who bring about change by exposing injustice and suffering. It will be awarded to one amateur and one professional journalist from the following five regions: Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Arab World, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Asia and the Pacific. Each winner will receive a trophy and cash prize of €5,000. The winners will be revealed and honored at an award ceremony in Brussels in December 2015.
