On 20 September 2010, the European Commission has launched the Young Reporters Against Poverty contest, which invites journalism students in the EU Member States to submit written or radio reports on the EU and development. Organised in cooperation with the European Journalism Centre, this initiative aims to raise their interest for development issues.

Interested journalism students should submit their applications by 29 October 2010 at the latest. 33 selected applicants will be invited to participate in a workshop during the European Development Days in Brussels in December.

During the workshop, the journalism students will report live from the Development Days on a dedicated website http://www.youngreporters.net/ and possibly also report for national and local media in their home countries. Based on the quality and originality of the media items produced, participants will have the opportunity to win an award at the end of the competition in the categories: Best Written Reportage(s), Best Radio Reportage(s) and Most Original News Reporting(s), selected by a jury composed of journalists and teachers in journalism from the EU Member States. The final prize will be a press trip to one of the EU Delegations in Africa.

The contest is being kicked off at a key date for development cooperation - with only five years left until the 2015 deadline to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the world will have its eyes on the United Nations summit in New York on 20-22 September to accelerate progress towards the MDGs.

Early July, the Commission also launched, for the second year in a row, the sister contest Music Against Poverty which is targeting young musicians in the Member States to express themselves on the fight against poverty in the world. Songs can be submitted until 17 October 2010, the international day for the Eradication of Poverty.

More info:
Young Reporters Against Poverty website http://www.youngreporters.net/
Music Against Poverty website http://www.ifightpoverty.eu/act/music-contest