Background Information on the EJA

The Earth Journalism Awards honour those in the media (professional journalists and citizen journalists/bloggers) who use their communication skills and influence to promote awareness of and provide new insight into climate change issues - whether it be in their region or in relation to certain key themes - through the production of powerful and eye-opening news and current affairs reports. Seven regional awards will be presented, as well as, eight thematic awards at a high profile ceremony in Copenhagen on December 14, 2009. All the stories you can view online have won an award - which award they have won will not be announced until the night of the ceremony.

Online vote for the Global Public Award:

The public vote gives members of the public the chance to choose the winner of the 16th award - the Global Public Award - from the 15 winning pieces that will be presented prizes in Copenhagen, on the eve of the last few crucial days of the negotiations.  Each winner has also been invited to attend and cover the negotiations for their home media.

This is YOUR chance to vote for the story you want the negotiators to take notice of in Copenhagen.  Your vote will help attract their attention and encourage them to listen to the voices that are so rarely heard in the global arena.   Through an innovative "social voting" system, you will be able to mobilize your social network around the stories that inspire you, and contribute to raising awareness of climate change issues around the world.

The winning story will be presented at the Earth Journalism Awards ceremony to a key audience of negotiators and decision makers, climate change experts, activists and media representatives in Copenhagen on December 14 during the crucial COP15 Summit.

You can vote in a number of different ways:
- Go to the Earth Journalism Awards website and cast your vote - http://awards.earthjournalism.org
- Becoming a fan of your favourite story on Facebook will count as a vote towards the Global Public Award. Each of the 15 winners have their own facebook page.
- Tweet your vote from the Twitter tab under the story you want to vote for on  the EJA website, where you will find customized tweets which will be counted as votes.

• Check out all the finalists stories

We also want you to tell your friends and contacts about the EJA Global Public Vote, and to promote to others the story you want them to help you elect:

We’ve prepared twitts and texts you can share, banners and a widget you can put up on your website or social networking account – we’d like you to use them and make others vote with you amongst the best climate change reports of the world! 

                                                                      Let the negotiators hear your voice!