ACJ invites nomination for investigative journalism award

City-based Asian College of Journalism (ACJ) today invited nominations for its 2017 investigative journalism award.

"The award for Print + Digital (newspapers, magazines, websites and other digital platforms) will comprise a trophy, citation and a cash prize of Rs 2,00,000/-," the ACJ said.

ACJ, with the support of Media Development Foundation, has instituted the award to recognise and encourage the best works of investigative journalism produced for Indian readers, viewers and audiences in order to promote journalism in public interest, it said.

Journalists and news organisations are invited to send in entries for consideration by the award committee and jury by March 2, 2018, it said in a release.
 

The ACJ Award for the year 2017 will be presented only in the print/digital category on May 3, 2018, World Press Freedom Day.

Usually the awards were given in two categories--viz Print/Online and Audio-Visual but the awards committee "has decided to suspend" the latter "due to lack of participation" in the previous two editions, it said.

Nominations can be sent in till March 2, 2018 and any journalistic work that was published during the calendar year 2017 (Jan-Dec) is eligible for nomination by a news organisation, working or freelance journalist(s), it said.

There can be up to five members comprising a team that can be nominated for an award, the release added.

Details for nominations can be accessed and uploaded on the website "http://asianmedia.in/acj/acj-awards-2/acj- awards-overview/".

The awards committee will be accepting nominations online or by post while nominees can also drop off their details at the ACJ Registrars office here, it said.

The 2015 ACJ Award for Investigative Journalism was won by filmmaker Nilita Vachani, who published a cover story in The Caravan magazine called "Inside Job - the woman who was sacrificed to nab Raj Rajaratnam".

The 2016 winning entry of the award was made by Shyamlal Yadav and Jay Mazoomdaar of The Indian Express for their series of stories called "One-rupee Jan Dhan trick on fake bank accounts in the context of a government scheme," it said.