Rwanda Data Journalism Award (RDJA) - Third Edition 2019

1. Background

The Rwanda Data Journalism Awards (RDJA) is NISR's initiative recognizing outstanding works in the field of data journalism in Rwanda. The mission of this award is to promote excellence and creativity in the reporting of statistics-based stories to the Rwandan public in this data revolution era when journalistic reportage requires practices that include statistical analyses, interpretations and visualization   to tell complex and sensitive stories in simple and convincing way. RDJA is normally organized yearly and winners are announced during the celebration of the African Statistics Day. The awards are given to exemplary data-driven stories and programs that use data to have a good impact on the society.

In collaboration with UNICEF Rwanda and The Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS 21), NISR is organizing the Third Edition of Rwanda Data Journalism Award (RDJA).

Data journalism on any subject involving official statistics based findings and analyses are eligible for the competition. Winners in Three categories (Online, radio and TV ) will be announced and awarded in December 2019, while cerebrating the African Statistics Day.

RDJA CATEGORIES

Category One: Excellence in Online Data Journalism

Description:Best interactive or static visualization combined with a story which accomplish a journalistic purpose and use data significantly in an online media

Maximum of 4 entries

  • Open to individual journalists (online)

Prize: Laptop

Category Two: Excellence in Radio Data Journalism

Best data-driven journalism in radio news stories or programs.

  • Open to individual journalists(Radio)
  • Maximum of 4 entries
  • Open to media houses countrywide.

Prize: laptop

Category Three: Excellence in TV Data Journalism

Best data-driven journalism onTV news stories or programs.

  • Maximum of 4 entries
  • Open to individual journalists (TV).

Prize: laptop

RDJA 2019 ELIGIBILITY

The Data Journalism Awards competition celebrates outstanding work in the field of data journalism in Rwanda. Awards can be won by any accredited media organization, or individual journalists in Rwanda.

  • We actively seek submissions from online and broadcast journalists and bloggers. Entries can have been published, broadcasted or aired in English, Kinyarwanda or in French,  and must have appeared between between 1st July 2019  and   30th October 2019.
  •  Individual journalists and freelancers on accredited media houses are eligible for the Data Journalism Awards. Works produced by individuals or teams of journalists from media companies and non-profit organizations, as well as freelancers or individuals are all eligible for entry.
  • Works produced by staffers or freelancers collaborating with government agencies, business or trade organizations with a stake (financial or of other nature) in the issue at hand are not eligible. In other words, the awards are not given to business data visualizations or projects produced for branding purposes.
  • The RDJA administrators have the final authority to determine whether an entry is eligible or not.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Applicants must    be Rwandan citizens or permanent residents, and the submitted work must have appeared in an accredited Rwandan-based media between 1st July 2019 and October 30th, 2017. 

The following two points describe a set of criteria that will be considered in the evaluation of the submissions in all categories:

  1. Ease of understanding what the data is saying by enabling greater public understanding of a particular topic through accurate data representation, visual elegance, creativity, originality, and uniqueness of informative infographic, or other visualization   techniques used to present data in a journalistic story or program.
  1. The content should be people-centred by linking data to human lives and welfare, and have a good balance of subjectivity and objectivity. 
  2. Impact of the entry on improving the understandingof the population of the data and on its general contribution to increase statistical literacy amongst Rwandans through accessible analysis, explanation, and statistical conceptualization used in a story or program.
  3. Quality of content,and variety of subjects covered.
  4. All the data quoted should clearly indicate year and source of the data. 

ENTRY INFORMATION

  1. Entries are allowed to have been published or aired on  any media platform(Online, print, radio and TV)
  2. A minimum of  4 entries per category
  3.  During the pre-selection, the jury will choose which category is most adequate for your submission, although you will be given the opportunity to choose your preferred category in the application form.
  1. All entries must be accompanied by submission form that include:
  • Description of the entry, less than 100 words
  •  Biography of the writer(s), less than 100 words
  •  Confirmation of the date published,
  1. Entry Formats:
  • Online:  link to the online article or newspaper  radio or podcast:  link to mp3 file either through an active URL or an archived link,    or copies on DVD
  • Television/youtube/other video:  link to an active URL   or copies of DVD  
  1. All submission forms must be filled in English. Entries in languages other than English will be accepted provided that they are accompanied by thorough explanations of the work in English in submission form. If a work originally published in a language other than English passes the pre-jury selection stage, applicants may be asked to provide additional information and translations if possible.
  1. There is no submission fee. 

SUBMISSION PROCEDURES AND DEADLINES

  • The competition's submissions will close on 30 October 2019 at 23:59 GMT.
  • Submission entries through Links or URLS should be made through online submission  form accessible from NISR website byOctober 30th, 2019 , at 23:59 GMT.
  • If you want to submit DVDs along with filled submission forms, they  can also be  received at NISR Central Secretariat  by October 30th, 2019 , at 5:00 PM
  • The winners for awards will be announced during the first week December 2019, and the winning projects will be revealed at the ASD 2019 Ceremony in December 2019.

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Question can be emailed to datajournalism@statistics.gov.rw or call +250788616735/ 0788752476.