BBC - Global Reith Awards 2009

For BBC staff around the world and off-base in the UK

CATEGORIES 2009

The following are the categories in the BBC Global Reith Awards 2009. We are a multifunctional division and the categories are intended to reflect and respect all the different things we do.

Unless otherwise stated, nominations can be made by anyone working for BBC Global News, either directly employed, or supplying output or services to BBC Global News. No individual may make more than 3 nominations overall. The nominee can be based anywhere in the world and work for the BBC full-time, part-time or on a regular freelance basis.

Qualifying period: The activity must have taken place between 1 December 2007 and 30 November 2008.

Translations: All entries in languages other than English must be accompanied by a translation in English, in order for the judges to gain a good understanding of your programme / website / service. Where programmes or items that are submitted are longer than 5 minutes, entries will need to be accompanied by up to 5 minutes (maximum) translated material into English showcasing the best of the piece. The English translation may take the form of either a script or audio recording. You may also provide a full running order in English, together with the summary description in English. The judges reserve the right to request further translated material.

4 copies: You will need to complete a nomination form for your entry, and submit 4 copies of both the form and any supporting materials.

1. Best Global News Output

This award is for a production team for their outstanding journalism. Teams working on any genre, any language and on any platform may apply. There will be four winners covering:

Vision
Audio
Future Media
Multimedia (multi-platform whereby the output is designed to work in an integrated approach across more than one platform).

What the judges will be looking for:

evidence of journalistic achievement
creative, for example, imaginative conception or a new approach
high journalistic standards
application of the BBC's editorial values
the ability to contextualise the story and make it relevant for the target audience
the story's impact with the target audience
any special circumstances such as a calculated risk that paid off
use of resources available to the team
for the Vision award, judges will consider either television or video for another platform, such as the web
for the Multimedia award, judges will be looking for creative multi-platform output which effectively combines the use of video, audio, the web and/or another medium to serve an audience across more than one platform

Submission information: Submission information: A written submission, in 250 words or fewer, plus supporting evidence such as a recording of the output or links to webpages. Non-English entries see note about translation. Entries may be from a single broadcast (up to 30 minute section) or three unedited extracts from a single programme or output project totalling no more than 30 minutes, along with relevant printed material from web pages or TV output on DVD. The entry may be from a single day or, say, a week's campaign or longer within the qualifying period. Extracts may be taken from the qualifying period 1 December 2007 and 30 November 2008. To aid the judges' decision you may supply translated reports, website links, printed or other materials that provide further evidence.

2. Breaking news

This award is for a production team or individual for their outstanding journalism in breaking a news story. Open to teams or individuals working in newsgathering, in production, on any language and on any platform, in the UK and internationally may apply. There will be one winner.

What the judges will be looking for:

evidence of journalistic achievement
swiftness and comprehensiveness of response
good angles or treatments
how well the emerging picture was made clear and intelligible to the audience
application of the BBC's editorial values

These points may also be relevant depending on the entry or platform:

follow-up programme material or debate
use of resources available to the team
impact of the breaking story in the target market
highly creative approach
collaboration with colleagues

Submission information: A written submission, in 250 words or fewer, plus supporting evidence such as a recording of the output or links to webpages. Non-English entries see note about translation. Entries may be from a single broadcast (up to 30 minute section) or three unedited extracts from a single programme totalling no more than 30 minutes along with relevant printed material from web pages or TV output on DVD. The entry may be from a single day or, say, a week's campaign or longer within the qualifying period. Extracts may be taken from the qualifying period 1 December 2007 and 30 November 2008. To aid the judges' decision you may supply translated reports, website links, printed or other materials that provide further evidence.

3. Best service not in the English Language

This award aims to recognise the best language team in Global News. It is open to language service production teams in World Service, BBC Monitoring and the BBC World Service Trust on any platform, in the UK and internationally. African English and Caribbean English teams are eligible to enter this category too. There will be two winners. Though teams may only enter one of the two sub-categories:

Best example of output not in English
Best example of newsgathering not in English

What the judges will be looking for:

evidence of success in informing and engaging audiences including strengthening their relationship with the BBC as a catalyst in the community.
journalistic strength, whether output or newsgathering and research.
the ambition and range of work of the service or team.
impact of the team in relation to the resources at their disposal
the entry should demonstrate a range of creative approaches or new ways of engaging with its audience.
application of the BBC's editorial values
highly creative approach.

Submission information: A written submission, in no more than 1000 words, detailing the strength of output over the last year. The submission should also describe the ways in which the team's objectives have been achieved and the reasons why the team should be judged the best. Output services should submit a compilation DVD of significant extracts demonstrating the range and quality of the team's output. Extracts may be taken from the qualifying period 1 December 2007 and 30 November 2008. To aid the judges' decision you may supply translated reports, website links, printed or other materials that provide further evidence.

4. Professional Services

BBC Global News is a multifunctional division. This award celebrates and respects the great work our professional service areas do. It is awarded for excellence in teams which support BBC Global News, without whom things wouldn't get done and we'd soon be off the air.

The award is open to both internal and external teams who support BBC Global News, for instance, technical, professional and specialist support areas within the division, such as Finance, Strategy & Business Development, MC&A, Legal, etc, as well as technical support, engineering, projects and professional support areas in the rest of the BBC which support Global News, and suppliers such as JCI, Siemens, VTC, etc.

What the judges will be looking for:

a team that has delivered exceptional service to the organisation.
a team that has gone the extra mile.
strong evidence of team working throughout.
a team whose work or project made the strongest contribution to achieving the Global News vision and objectives.

5. Individual of the Year

This award recognises an individual who has done something exceptional that has made a difference in the eyes of colleagues and/or our global audience. The winner might be an unsung hero who has worked behind the scenes to keep the show on the road, or they might be a well-known figure who has had an exceptional year.

The award is open to anyone working for BBC Global News, either directly employed or supplying output or services to BBC Global News. The nominee can be based anywhere in the world and work for Global News full-time, part-time or on a regular freelance basis. There will be two winners:

Journalism and production (including non-news output and future media)
Professional and support services (including business support, technical support, engineering, projects, marketing, suppliers, etc)

You may nominate only one person, which can be yourself, in one sub-category.

What the judges will be looking for:

an individual who has done an exceptional piece of work in performing their role, either behind the scenes as an unsung hero, or in reaching an audience.
an achievement that is either sustained or around a single, unique event.
the impact of the work can be shown to have made a difference in the eyes of colleagues and/or our global audience, shown in feedback and/or audience data.
for the Journalist and production award, judges will be looking for excellence in journalism, whether output or newsgathering and research, or impactful investigation, or in highly creative production values, and always with a deep understanding of the audience.
for the Professional and support services award, judges will be looking for an excellent service made by an individual, to help the organisation achieve its aims.

Submission information: A written submission, in no more than 1000 words. Reference may only be made to work or projects undertaken during the qualifying period 1 December 2007 and 30 November 2008. To aid the judges' decision you may supply other materials that provide further supporting evidence of the individual's achievement. For the Journalist award, to aid the judges' decision you may supply translated reports, website links, printed or other materials that provide further evidence.

6. Team of the Year

This award recognises a team which works closely together consistently and well, with different team contributions over a period, a group where all parts come together to produce excellent results and you make a difference to the world and/or to the organisation.

The award is open to teams working for BBC Global News, either directly employed or supplying output or services to BBC Global News. The nominated team can be based anywhere in the world and in more than one location. There will be two winners:

Journalism and production (including non-news output and future media)
Professional and support services (including business support, technical support, engineering, projects, marketing, suppliers, etc)

You may nominate only one team, which can be your own team, in one sub-category.

What the judges will be looking for:

a high performing team who have worked together to achieve exceptional results.
the impact of the team's work can be shown to have made a difference in the eyes of colleagues and/or our global audience shown in feedback and/or audience data.
for the Journalist and production award, judges will be looking for excellence in journalism, whether output or newsgathering and research, or impactful investigation, or in highly creative production values, and always with a deep understanding of the audience.
for the Professional and support services award, judges will be looking for an excellent service made by a team as a whole, to help the organisation achieve its aims.

7. One BBC Award

This award is a celebration of collaboration across Global News and the wider BBC. It recognises more than one team who have collaborated to embrace the One BBC value of working together.

The award is open to both internal and external teams who support BBC Global News, for instance, journalism and production, technical, professional and specialist support areas within the division, such as Finance, Strategy & Business Development, MC&A, Legal, etc, as well as technical and professional support areas in the rest of the BBC which support Global News, and partners such as JCI, Siemens, VTC, etc.

What the judges will be looking for:

outstanding examples of sustained collaboration across and beyond Global News, to achieve an impact wider than the department/individual concerned could achieve by themselves.
a clear benefit in the collaborative approach, so this award is about talking together regularly, sharing knowledge and expertise, experimenting with others, looking for ways of working together to the benefit of our audience, customers and stakeholders.
the platform, the output, the professional service, or the type of support, may be relevant, but will not be the defining factor.

Submission information: A written submission, in no more than 1000 words, together with supporting evidence. Reference may only be made to work or projects undertaken during the qualifying period 1 December 2007 and 30 November 2008. To aid the judges' decision you may supply other materials that provide further supporting evidence of the success of the achievement. Where appropriate, these might include translated reports, website links, printed or other materials that provide further evidence.

8. Outstanding Contribution

This award recognises the outstanding contribution to the BBC Global News by an individual over an extended period of time or for an outstanding single contribution beyond the call of duty that is so significant as to merit this award.

To be judged by a panel representing staff members.

What the judges will be looking for:

evidence of an individual who embodies the values and vision of Global News through their work, their achievements, their behaviour and values.

Submission information: Anyone working for BBC Global News can nominate an individual, stating the reasons why the nominee has made such an outstanding contribution, explaining in no more than 250 words why the nominee deserves the award. The qualifying period for this award is not limited, but extends back to any time in more than 75 years of global broadcasting to the world. This is also the award for a single significant event that stands out as extraordinary in the eyes of colleagues and goes beyond the call of duty.

9. Kari Blackburn New Talent Award

This special award is for outstanding individual work by a newcomer to the BBC World Service Africa & Middle East region – where Kari Blackburn worked for so many years – to recognise and celebrate the life and work of Kari Blackburn. It is open to current journalists and programme-makers in their first two years with the BBC World Service Africa & Middle East region.

Anyone may nominate an individual. Only staff working in the BBC World Service Africa & Middle East region (department) are eligible to be nominated for this award category. The recipient must be employed by BBC World Service (this includes Stringers and Freelance contributors), and will have joined the Africa & Middle East region after December 2006. They may be based in the UK or around the world, producing output that targets our Africa and Middle East global audience.

The Kari Blackburn New Talent Award has been created to recognise Kari's memory in a way that she would have been proud, and which captures the values that she held so strongly about developing new journalists.

What the judges will be looking for:

an individual who, in their first two years with the Africa & Middle East region, has made a significant contribution to the BBC World Service output, reaching and connecting with our global audience across Africa and the Middle East.
the individual will embody the values of the BBC and BBC World Service, which they show through the excellence of their work, within the BBC's editorial guidelines, their journalistic achievements and their behaviour.

Submission information: A written submission, in no more than 1000 words, plus supporting evidence such as work that the nominee has been directly responsible for during the period covered. Supporting evidence for all entries in languages other than English must be accompanied by a translation in English, in order for the judges to gain a good understanding of your programme / website.

DOWNLOAD THE NOMINATION FORMS HERE