The World Young Reader Prize, which annually honours newspapers that succeed in engaging the young, has launched a new category to recognize social, mobile and local activities, reflecting the changing media habits of young people and the challenges they pose for traditional news media.
"This is the 15th anniversary of the Young Reader Prizes, and our awards must change to reflect the way the news media business itself is changing," said Dr. Aralynn McMane, Executive Director of Young Readership Development for the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), which awards the annual prizes.
The "Making a SoMoLo Connection" will be awarded to the newspaper company that uses mobile telephones and social media to create effective local engagement with the young.
It is one of four new categories added in 2013. The others are:
- "Going Green," which will honour newspaper company projects that give the young guidance and hope for improving the environment;
- "Helping with Health," which will honour projects that help the young have better health or medical care;
- and "Learning with News," which will honour projects that use newspaper content in education, teach news literacy, the practice of professional journalism or the importance an fragility of press freedom.
The new categories join the core Young Reader Prize categories of brand, editorial, enduring excellence, public service, the Natasa prize for printing plants and Young Reader Newspaper of the Year. Applications are being accepted through 13 June;
As part of WAN-IFRA's 15th anniversary celebration of the prizes, individual categories have been open to branded support. The Enduring Excellence Award is supported by the American Press Institute and Schurz Communications. Individuals or companies interested in supporting other categories should contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The World Young Reader Prizes are part of WAN-IFRA's efforts to recognise, encourage and disseminate innovative ideas and thinking to help build stronger and vital news media. World Young Reader Prize winning strategies are celebrated and shared, as they benefit not only the media companies and their young audiences, but society as a whole.
