The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and its partners are inviting individual journalists and media institutions based in Africa to participate in the 2007 African Information Society Initiative (AISI) Media Awards. Launched in 2003, the awards aim to encourage informed coverage of the information society and information and communication technology (ICT) for development issues in Africa as part of ECA's Information Society Outreach and Communication Programme. The awards are intended for journalists and media institutions based in Africa that are “promoting journalism which contributes to a better understanding of the information society in Africa."

The award aims to:

Entries can be made in the following categories:

1. AISI-GKP Media Awards on Reporting on "Emerging People, Emerging Markets, and Emerging Technologies"

The 2007 AISI-GKP Media Awards will recognise African individual journalists as well as media institutions in promoting ICT4D with special focus on the themes of the 3rd Global Knowledge Conference (GK III), on "Emerging People, Emerging Markets, and Emerging Technologies".

The AISI/-GKP Media Awards 2007 has four sub-categories:

• Radio: Programmes from commercial and national public radio stations, including news, discussion, documentaries and features.
• Print: Articles from regional or national newspapers, including specialist magazines.
• Television/Video: Factual (documentary and features) and news.
• Multimedia/Web Media: This category will examine nominations from local community media (newspapers and community radio) that demonstrate innovative use and appropriation of ICT applications.

Each of these four sub-categories can be applied to the GKIII themes as follows:

• Reporting on Emerging People in Africa
• Reporting on Emerging Technologies in Africa
• Reporting on Emerging Markets

Prizes for the three categories will be as follows:

First Prize: US$3,000

Runner-up: US$1,500

2. AISI Media Awards on Reporting on ICT Research and Innovation

This award is geared towards encouraging media practitioners’ focus on issues related to ICT research and innovations in Africa under the framework of the International Development Research Centre's (IDRC) Acacia Programme.

Entries will be considered for print (articles) and radio and television programmes.

Prizes for the two sub-categories will be as follows:


First Prize: US$3,000

Runner-up: US$1,500

3. AISI Media Awards on Reporting on ICT Policy

This award is to encourage increased reporting on ICT policies (process and implementation) in Africa under the frameworks of the International Development Research Centre’s Acacia Programme and ECA’s African Information Society Initiative (AISI). The objective is to stimulate interest in the formulation and implementation of national e-strategies in countries on the continent and to support informed reporting by the media.

Entries will be considered for print (articles) and radio and television programmes.

Prizes for the two sub-categories will be as follows:

First Prize: US$3,000

Runner-up: US$1,500

4. AISI Media Awards on Local Content Applications

This award aims to recognise users of innovative or pioneering applications of ICTs to local content defined as ''the expression of the locally owned and adapted knowledge of a community" in Africa. Applications can be from any sector and use of any medium with a demonstrated link with ICTs that provide opportunities for local people to interact and communicate with each other, expressing their own ideas, knowledge, and culture in their own languages. Entries will be considered for print (articles) and radio and television programmes.

Prizes for the two sub-categories will be as follows:

First Prize: US$2,000

Runner-up: US$1,000

5. AISI Media Awards on Local Content

This second IICD award will recognize an outstanding story, campaign, or project in which the significance of local knowledge and content is raised in local, national, or regional fora. Entries will be considered for print (articles) and radio and television programmes.

Prizes for the two sub-categories will be as follows:

First Prize: US$2,000

Runner-up: US$1,000

All entries must have been published and broadcast by an African media institution during the year 2006/2007. Entries can be submitted in more than one category, but three copies of all materials are needed for each category entered. Also, submissions in African languages should be translated (in the case of print) and/or transcribed into English or French for radio and TV programmes. A fully completed form must accompany each submission otherwise the entry will be disqualified. Entries must be cassettes/CDs for radio and VHS/CD for TV and video entries and original materials for print entries.

The winning entries will be disseminated internationally and honoured at the 2007 Highway Africa Conference, which will take place in September 2007 in Grahamstown, South Africa.

Click here to download more information about the awards and the application process in MS Word format.