March 2024
This year, The Day, the daily newspaper for young people, has launched its third annual Global Young Journalist Awards. The competition is free to enter for young people aged between seven and 18 from all over the world and is open to all media formats including written articles, photography, illustration, audio, video and graphic design.
Awards are available for ten categories of journalism from Climate to Sport and in two age bands, 7-13 and 14-18. They will be judged and presented at an online ceremony on 27th June by distinguished leaders in their fields including one of Britain’s leading politicians Jess Phillips, the Channel 4 news presenter Cathy Newman and the Olympic rugby player Heather Fisher.
The launch date this year coincided with International Women’s Day and celebrated the deliberate choice of an all-female panel for 2024. The closing date for entries is 26th April 2024. All information on the ten subject categories and how to enter the competition can be found online here.
The editor and founder of The Day, Richard Addis, said:
“Many of the powerful jobs in journalism are still in the hands of a “boy’s club” while women are confined to the features and lifestyle sections. We want to encourage both girls and boys to nurture their ambitions and explore the full range of careers in journalism from an early age.
“Today is the best of all times to become a young journalist. Twenty years ago technology set us all free and suddenly everyone could join in. Now that social media has corrupted the public space and destroyed so much serious debate, the pendulum is swinging rapidly back to a professional class of skilled and trained communicators that have standards and earn trust. I see a great renaissance of journalism in the next 20 years.
“Combine that with the growth of new formats for journalism, the new business models for making it sustainable, the flexibility of where and when we chose to work and the future becomes really thrilling.
“These awards offer a real chance for young people to test their journalistic vocation and make their own contribution to the global conversation. It can be a huge boost to confidence to know that you have succeeded in making an entry to a formal competition. That alone is a big step. To have that work recognised by a leading name in the field is another giant stride.
“Entering these awards really could change your life!”
One of this year’s awards presenters and judges, the MP Jess Phillips said:
“I’m really excited to have been invited onto the panel for the Global Young Journalist Awards. I know from living with a teenager just how technology savvy and creative young people can be and I’m keen to see the submissions.
“If you think about the sheer volume of videos, reels, pictures, blogs and podcasts that get created by the 7-18 year-old population now and uploaded onto Tik-Tok or instagram every day… It’s almost unbelievable. When I was at school we were coming home and sticking our creations onto our family fridge or bedroom walls! There are just so many more ways for young people to be creative and share stories and I’m genuinely excited to see where they take it and what comes in for judging.
“This is a competition for EVERYONE. Whatever your background, whatever your home country or situation. Whatever your story is and however you want to tell it. Just find the best of the 10 categories for it to fit under and get drawing, writing, recording. This competition could be the start of a new hobby or passion that lives on and gives you pleasure for the rest of your life. Creating things can be really joyful and everyone should have the opportunity to feel that sense of pride and achievement in doing so. You never know where it might take you.”
Previous Global Young Journalist Award winner from 2022, Zohra Ehsani, who was aged 14 when she won her award (shown in the attached picture) said:
“Getting this award gave me confidence in what I can actually do. There are people in this world that dream of having an education and opportunities like this. It taught me that I can actually do a lot of things when I put my heart to it.”
Previous awards presenter and judge, Tom Chivers, who is an author, journalist and award-winning writer said:
“I’m really looking forward to seeing how the 2024 winners express themselves – today’s media environment is so diverse that young journalists have a million ways to tell stories. And it’s fantastic that we have an all-female panel. It’s a great celebration of women’s contribution to journalism, and should serve as an inspiration to all our competitors.”
Previous awards presenter and judge author Stuart Lawrence, the younger brother of Stephen Lawrence who was murdered in an unprovoked racist attack at 18 years of age, said:
“The daily newspaper is a valuable resource for young individuals from all around the globe. It provides an excellent means of educating oneself on diverse topics, from global warming to bullying concerns. As an avid reader, I found the newspaper an enriching experience, and I look forward to exploring this year’s submissions.”