The World Young Reader Prize, which annually honours newspapers that succeed in engaging the young, has launched a new category to recognise social, mobile and local activities, reflecting the changing media habits of young people and the challenges they pose for traditional news media.
“This is the 15th anniversary of the Young Reader Prizes, and our awards must change to reflect the way the news media business itself is changing,” says Aralynn McMane, executive director, Young Readership Development for the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), which awards the annual prizes, in a statement.
The award, “Going Green,” will honour newspaper company projects that give the young guidance and hope for improving the environment; “Helping with Health,” will honour projects that help the young have better health or medical care; and “Learning with News,” will honour projects that use newspaper content in education, teach news literacy, the practice of professional journalism or the importance an fragility of press freedom.
The new categories join the core Young Reader Prize categories of brand, editorial, enduring excellence, public service, the Natasa prize for printing plants and Young Reader Newspaper of the Year. The World Newspaper Association says applications are being accepted through June 13.
As part of WAN-IFRA’s 15th anniversary celebration of the prizes, individual categories have been open to branded support. The Enduring Excellence Award is supported by the American Press Institute and Schurz Communications.
The World Young Reader Prizes are part of WAN-IFRA’s efforts to recognise, encourage and disseminate innovative ideas and thinking to help build stronger and vital news media. World Young Reader Prize winning strategies are celebrated and shared, as they benefit not only the media companies and their young audiences, but society as a whole.
