Am I eligible for the Earth Journalism Awards?

I am not a professional journalist, but make reports in my spare time. Can I submit one of my stories on climate change?

Yes. Please bear in mind  that documentaries, research works or other non-journalistic works will not be considered elligible (except in the case of the MTV Positive Change Awards for which applicants are asked to submit entertaining and creative multimedia pieces). If your report has not been published, you will be asked to explain why.

I recently lost my reporting job due to economic downsizing. Can I submit a report that was published by an organization that I no longer work for?

Yes. You can submit their information in the provided areas of the application form or provide the contact details of a referee.

I am already scheduled to cover COP15 for my news organization. Does this diminish my chances of winning an Earth Journalism Award?

No. The Earth Journalism Awards are open to all, regardless of their plans for COP15.

I am a reporter for my school newspaper. Can I submit my report?

Yes. Please bear in mind that all Earth Journalism Awards applicants should be at least 18 years of age as of January 1, 2009.

Is the report that I want to submit eligible for the Earth Journalism Awards?

I have an unpublished story on climate change. Can I submit it?

You may submit an unpublished report but you will have to explain why it has not been published.

I have been working on a report that is due to be published after the September 7 2009 application deadline. Can I submit this report?

Yes, all reports that have been (or will be) published after December 15 2008 are eligible for the Earth Journalism Awards. If your report has not been published, you will need to explain why in your application.

Does my report have to be in English?

Reports can be submitted in any language, but you will need to also submit a full English translation.  Applications of non-English reports that do not provide a full English translation will be automatically disqualified. A summary of the submitted report should also be provided in English.

I have worked on several stories related to Climate Change. How many of these stories can I submit to the EJA?

Applicants (individually or in a group) can only send one application (series are counted as one). Applicants submitting more than one application will be automatically disqualified.

I have an audio/video file that is longer than 15 min. Can I edit it into smaller segments and submit it as a series?

No. Applicants should not modify their reports for the purpose of the Earth Journalism Awards. Reports should be submitted in their original format and length, as published/broadcast. Audio and video files longer than 15 minutes are not elligible for any of the Earth Journalism Awards.

How does the group application work?

We want to submit a report as a group. What are the pro's and cons of a group application?

All accurately completed applications are judged equally, and no distinctions are made between individual and group applications. However, if a group application wins an Earth Journalism Award, the group will have to select one representative to travel to Copenhagen and receive their prize.

We are a group of journalists that collaborated on a series of reports on climate change. Should we submit our series as a group or should each of us submit our individual report?

You may choose either option (but not both). Please view the rules and the application form and decide which option you prefer.

My report is part of a series to which other journalists contributed as well. Can I submit my individual report?

If you are the sole author of your report, you may submit it on your own and as an individual report. If you are one of several authors, you will need to submit it as the representative of the group with the approval of all other group members.

If you would like your report to be evaluated in the context of the series, you will need to submit it as a series, and (if you are one of several authors) as the representative of the group with the approval of all its members.

For all applications of series, applicants are expected to select one report from the series to represent the series and explain in the application summary how it is representative of the whole the series.

Which category do I submit my report to?

What sets the MTV Positive Change Award apart from the other awards? Can I submit my report to a different category as well?

Applicants to the MTV Positive Change Award should be between 18 and 28 of age. Applicants are asked to submit creative and entertaining multimedia pieces that are no longer than 3 minutes long (compared to 15 minutes for the other categories). Applications for the MTV Positive Change Award can be sent only starting June 22 2009 (as opposed to June 5 2009 for all other awards).

You may not submit your report to other categories as well. Applications for the MTV Positive Change Award are not considered for the regional awards.

My report focusses on more than one of the categories. Can I submit it to multiple categories?

All submitted reports (except for reports that are submitted for the MTV Positive Change Award) are automatically considered for the regional awards, so you are not obliged to submit your report to an additional category. You can however compete for one (and one only) thematic award as well.

Which region do I submit my report to?

My report focusses on several regions. Can I submit it to different regions?

Your application will be considered for the regional prize related to its primary focus country. No application can be considered for several regions.

My report focusses on climate change issues in country X (where I am based), but it was published in country Y (where my employer is based). Can I submit this report?

Yes. Please make sure to indicate the correct country information for the focus of your report and the location of your publisher/broadcaster in your application form.

My report focusses on climate change issues in country X (where I am based), but it was published in country Y (where my employer is based). Can I submit this report?

Yes. Please make sure to indicate the correct country information for the focus of your report and the location of your publisher/broadcaster in your application form.

I am a citizen of country X, but have been living and working in country Y for some time.  Can I submit a report on climate change in country Y?

Applicants from any country of the world may submit reports focusing on any country of the world. If an applicant is not a citizen of a country within the region for which a regional award is being considered (a French citizen reporting on Zimbabwe will not be eligible for any regional award, for instance), s/he will however be considered inelligible for the regional award. S/he may however compete for a thematic prize.