Towards Zero 2015 Road Safety Media Awards - entries now open

06 Jul 2015

Victorian journalists and media outlets are being encouraged by the state's Road Safety Partnership to get their entries in for the Towards Zero 2015 Road Safety Media Awards.

In line with last year's inaugural awards, categories will be open for best metro story, best regional story and best overall media outlet.

A trophy and $500 prize money will be awarded to each winner at an awards ceremony, taking place at RACV Club on Wednesday August 26.

Entries close at 5:00pm Monday August 10. For more information, please see the guidelines below.

Guidelines

On 26^th August 2015, the Victorian Road Safety Partnership, consisting of the Transport Accident Commission (TAC), VicRoads, Victoria Police, the Department of Justice and the Department of Health & Human Services, will be hosting its 2^nd Towards Zero Road Safety Leadership Symposium. As a part of the event, the Partnership would like to recognise the role media plays in helping Victoria reach its vision of zero deaths and serious injuries on our roads.

The Victorian Road Safety Partnership invites media outlets throughout the state to enter the Towards Zero Road Safety Media Awards. The Awards will recognise excellence in reporting on road safety issues, with a particular focus on enhancing the community's understanding of road safety issues.

We look forward to your entries, given the respect and commitment many journalists across Victoria have dedicated to road safety. The winners will be announced at the Towards Zero Road Safety Leadership Symposium  Awards Dinner on 26^thAugust 2015 and each winner will receive a trophy and $500 prize money.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Any journalist working for a Victorian media outlet that has implemented a road safety story between 1 January 2014 and 30 June 2015 are eligible to enter.

1. Read the relevant category criteria and conditions of entry carefully.

2. Prepare your entry by gathering:

• The attachments of the work you plan to submit (PDFs, WMVs or online links, as appropriate). File size limit is 10MB.
• A supporting statement (maximum 200 words) that explains how your entry came about, how it is relevant to the category you are entering and what it contributes to road safety in Victoria or your local community.

3. Please include on your entry your name, media outlet, phone number, email address and editor/executive producers's name and contact details.

3. Register by sending your entry to: nick_price@tac.vic.gov.au by 5:00pm Monday August 10.

AWARDS

Best Metropolitan News Story

Eligibility: Open to print, online and broadcast media who are based in Melbourne.

Requirements: Stories that have contributed to the promotion of road safety in the Melbourne metropolitan area, published, uploaded or broadcast between January 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015.

Judging criteria: Stories will be judged according to their potential impact on road safety and presentation of facts. Judges will look at how the entrant made their story different to other media outlets and how it communicated the importance of road safety issues.

Evidence required: 

• A PDF of page/s where the article/s was published or weblink to audio or video file.
• 200-word supporting statement to be included under "Entry Details" that outlines how your entry came about, how it is relevant to the category you are entering and what it contributes to road safety in Victoria.

Best Regional News Story

Eligibility: Open to all regional print, online and broadcast media.

Requirements: Stories that have contributed to the promotion of road safety in regional Victoria, published, uploaded or broadcast between January 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015.

Judging criteria: It will be judged according to its potential impact on road safety and presentation of facts. Judges will look at how the entrant made their story different to other media outlets, and how it communicated the importance of road safety issues to the target audience.

Evidence required:

• A PDF of page where the article was published or weblink to audio or video file.

• 200-word supporting statement to be included under "Entry Details" that outlines how your entry came about, how it is relevant to the category you are entering and what it contributes to rural and regional journalism.

Best Media Outlet for Road Safety Reporting

Eligibility: All media outlets that have reported on road safety issues throughout the year.

Requirements: This category recognises the outstanding work of a media organisation, whether it be print, broadcast or online. Entrants must submit a portfolio of five pieces of work (combined in one pdf), with a supporting statement from the editor, news editor, executive producer or equivalent (maximum 300 words).

Judging criteria: The judges will look for outlets that consistently inform and provoke their target audiences on the issues of road safety. Judges will also look at the innovation of the outlet in exploring and investigating road safety issues.

Evidence required: 

• a portfolio of five pieces of work (combined in one PDF)
• a supporting statement from the editor, news editor, executive producer or equivalent (maximum 300 words)

 ENQUIRIES

 If you have any questions about the awards or submission process, please contact: Emily Bogue on 5225 6450 or 0429 416 778 or Emily Bogue

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

1. Entries must have been published or broadcast between January 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015.
2. Entrants must have been working for a Victorian based publication or outlet at the time the entry was published or broadcast.
3. Each entry must be accompanied by a PDF or link that shows the published or broadcast work.
4. Each entry must be accompanied by an explanation (up to 200 words) of the story's context, its target audience, and relevant background information.
5. Entrants may submit a maximum of two different entries per category.
6. Photo entries must include a JPEG of the entry and a PDF of the page from the publication in which the photo appeared.
7. Entrants may only submit an individual entry once – the same story cannot be entered into multiple categories, except in the case where a portfolio must be presented (Best Media Outlet for Road Safety Reporting).
8. The TAC reserves the right to re-allocate an entry where it does not fit the criteria for its nominated category.
9. If a story is approved by an organisation about whom the content relates, then it is ineligible to enter.
10. The judges' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
11. Winners receive $500 and a trophy.
12. Entries close on Monday August 10.
13. Late and hard copy entries will not be considered.
14. The winners of the 2015 TAC Road Safety Awards will be announced on Wednesday August 26 at the Towards Zero Road Safety Leadership Symposium Awards Dinner at the RACV Club, Melbourne.

Towards Zero

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