Amman, February 7^th, 2011-- At an event held at the premises of the Jordan Press Association (JPA), H.E. Ambassador Joanna Wronecka, Head of Delegation of the European Union to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, announced the launch of the "Euro- Jordanian Press Award for Excellence in Writing 2010."

The Award comes in line with the priorities of the EU-Jordan Action Plan regarding the promotion of freedom of expression and media independence. The objective of the award is to support professional in-depth reporting in Jordan and to recognize the work of its excelling journalists.

The  Ambassador Wronecka stated, "The European Union Delegation has decided to launch the "Euro-Jordanian Press Award for Excellence in Writing in Jordan" to reaffirm its support for the free press as an essential vehicle for informing the public about the developments which shape the future of this country and of the region."

She  added, "we want  to highlight the important role that journalism plays in the development process by examining local issues in depth, spreading awareness about them and encouraging better governance through increased accountability and improved transparency."

Mr. Abdel Wahhab Zgheilat, President of the Jordan Press Association (JPA), expressed his support for the award by stating, "Journalism in Jordan has witnessed substantial developments in the past few years. Professionals in the mass media sector have succeeded in providing media coverage effecting concrete impact". He added, "Launching such a reputable Award reflects the importance of Jordanian journalism as a fourth authority within the frame of responsible and transparent freedom and its role in improving social and economic conditions in Jordan."

The rules for the award state that submitted in-depth reports should tackle social and economic issues in the Kingdom and be published in Jordanian or pan-Arab newspapers, magazines, or e-media between the period January and December 2010.  A one-off report or series of reports tackling a specific issue will be considered, but should not exceed 1,500 words in total.

The award criteria include among others, originality of the idea, relevance of the story, facts and documentation, presentation of facts, overall content and writing style.

The submitted reports will be reviewed in May by a panel of prominent Jordanian jurors, including journalists, analysts and academics.

The deadline for submitting reports for consideration is April 28^th.  A ceremony will be held in June 2011 to present the award and a financial prize to the top three submissions.

Further details about the eligibility, criteria and application for the award are shown in detail on www.eurojordanianpressaward.com

The Euro-Jordanian Press Award for Excellence in Writing, initiated by the European Union Delegation to Jordan, honours the best in-depth report tackling social and economic issues in Jordan.

The award is meant to raise the professional standard of in-depth journalism and to recognize the work of excelling journalists in the country. It also aims at encouraging Jordanian journalists to raise controversial issues in order to contribute to a change in perception or policy.
For further information, please visit www.euroJordanianpressaward.com.

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