TERMS AND CONDITIONS
ELIGIBILITY:
Entries open May 1, 2024, and close July 1, 2024, at midnight AEST.
Entries must have been published or broadcast between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024.
Entrants must be Australian citizens, permanent residents, or journalists residing in Australia, with some allowances for Australian citizens working for international news outlets.
Entries must be independent acts of journalism, free from commercial or corporate interests.
Entrants must adhere to the MEAA Journalist Code of Ethics.
Entrants must declare the originality of their work and ensure it does not infringe on any legal rights of others.
o This will not necessarily disqualify an entry – transparency is important for the judging process.
Any requests for corrections, challenges to accuracy, claims of plagiarism, legal proceedings, or payments to third parties must be disclosed.
o This will not necessarily disqualify an entry – transparency is important for the judging process.
Use of artificial intelligence (AI) in producing the works must be declared.
o This will not necessarily disqualify an entry – transparency is important for the judging process.
Entrants must declare they understand and accept that responsibility lies with them to ensure judges can access submitted works and the Kennedy Foundation throughout 2024 and that failure to do so could disqualify an entry. To ensure accessibility:
o You must either upload your work or provide a URL that can be freely accessed without registration.
o Ensure that any URL submitted for judging remains current for all of 2024 and can be accessed by judges and Kennedy Foundation staff until 31 December 2024.
o If the work you are entering is behind a paywall, it is strongly advised that you also upload a copy with your entry (e.g. a PDF or mp3 file).
o If you submit a URL requiring a login and password, you must clearly provide these in your Entry Statement. You are responsible for ensuring these remain current for the calendar year.
o We must stress that if the work is behind a paywall, it is always best to upload a copy of it – time and time again, entrants provide URLs and log-in details that are either incorrect or change after submission.
ENTRY FEES:
All entries are $60, plus GST, per entry.
$25, plus GST, entry fee for the Student Journalist of the Year Category
No entry fee required for the Outstanding Team Player or Mentor Category
ENTRY SPECIFICATIONS:
The same entry can be entered in multiple categories – but must be submitted with a separate $60 entry fee each time.
Multiple unrelated stories can also be entered in the same category (effectively competing against oneself) as long as they are submitted as separate $60 registrations.
GROUP AND TEAM ENTRIES:
Group or team entries must involve substantial collaboration by all team members prior to publication or broadcast of the entry(s).
The supporting statement must clearly outline each team member’s contribution. Please ensure no key team members are omitted at the time of entry.
GROUP entries may include up to FOUR names.
o One person must be nominated as the primary contact.
o All names, emails, positions and photographs must be submitted with the entry.
o The designated contact is expected to share communications from the Kennedy Foundation with their team.
TEAM entries are for FIVE OR MORE people and must have ONE TEAM NAME
o One person must be the designated contact.
o All names, emails, positions and photographs must be submitted with the entry.
o The designated contact is expected to share communications from the Kennedy Foundation with their team.
SELF PUBLICATION:
Entry is open to Australian journalists and photographers who have self-published, including on digital and social media platforms.
Self-published entrants must provide relevant URL links and, wherever possible, third-party verification of the work’s authenticity. These are subject to the same accessibility requirements as traditionally published work, i.e. any URLs must be accessible to the judges and the Kennedy Foundation until 31 December 2024. If a login is required, your entry must include a username and password to access the content.
If the entrant verifies their work, they must clarify this in their Entry Statement.
JUDGING CRITERIA:
Winners will exemplify ground-breaking, creative journalism with a profound and enduring impact.
Judges will consider resources, research, public interest, community benefit, and other factors.
Entrants must disclose any formal corrections, claims of plagiarism, or legal proceedings related to their entry.
Originality of work and compliance with copyright rules are required.
Compliance with the MEAA Journalist Code of Ethics is mandatory.
Entrants must declare if payment was involved for information or interviews.
These terms and conditions ensure fairness, transparency, and integrity in the selection process for the Kennedy Awards.