MINERD and CDP announce the opening of the 2014 National Journalism Award

MINERD and CDP announce the opening of the 2014 National Journalism Award
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 03/20/2014

The Ministry of Education (MINERD) and the Dominican Association of Journalists (CDP) announced today the call to nominate journalists to the 2014 National Journalism Award. The winner will be announced on April 5th, on the National Day of the Journalist.

The recognition is sponsored by MINERD and will be presented at a ceremony at the National Palace, headed by the President of the Republic, Mr. Danilo Medina.

The important award includes a scroll of appreciation for the winner and a financial incentive that is to be provided by the Ministry of Education.

Olivo De León, President of the CDP, informed at a press conference held in the Orlando Martínez Hall of the Association of Journalists that the National Journalism Award is included in Decree No.74-94 of March 28, 1994, whose bases are set forth in its article 5.

Among those who have received the National Journalism Award are Emilio Herasme Peña, (deceased); Rafael Núñez Grassals, Radhames Gómez Pepín, Rafael Molina Morillo, Don Francisco Comarazamy, Mario Álvarez Dugan, Felipe Collado (Lipe) and Minerva Isa.

Olivo explained that this award is based on the journalist’s career; therefore, he suggests that applicants must meet the requirements set forth in the Decree, among which are:

1.- Journalists with more than 10 years of professional practice may participate in the competition or be proposed by one or more colleagues. Entries must contain a Curriculum Vitae and an explanatory note, whose length may not exceed three double-spaced typewritten pages.

2.- A form detailing the years of professional practice, as well as the media in which the candidate has worked and the education of the candidate must be attached to the aforementioned documents. Optionally, candidates may include their work as a foreign correspondent, or as an independent producer, positions occupied in the media, communication works they have written, any teaching work they have performed in the field of communication or work in the journalist’s Union, and specialization studies undertaken.

Meanwhile, Magdalena Nuñez, MINERD’s head of public relations, said that the Ministry of Education will continue to support the award as it is established in Decree 74-94, and that it will continue to recognize the career of journalists, as it understands that without them there would be no democracy in society.

She recalled that the winner of last year received one million pesos that were disbursed from MINERD funds. She also reported that in his capacity as Minister of Education, Mr. Carlos Amarante Baret will chair the jury of the 2014 National Journalism Award.

Meanwhile, journalist José Rafael Sosa, Secretary of the Award, said that nomination forms may be picked up at the Secretariat of the Association of Dominican Journalists, located on Ave. George Washington, second floor, and that the deadline for the presentation of proposals ends at six o’clock in the afternoon on Wednesday, March 26, 2014.

The nominated person must submit, if s/he so desires, all the material that may prove that the nomine is worthy or deserving of this award (i.e., collection of articles, reports, etc.).

Mercedes Castillo, President of the Institute for the Protection of the Journalist and Communicator Cándida Ortega, also participated in the press conference.