#CheckItFirst runs in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, and Serbia. It promotes the adoption of ethical journalism as a vital defence against disinformation in the region. As part of this campaign, we’re inviting journalists in the four countries to enter this journalism awards and publicly showcase their support for the professional standards they signed up to when they became journalists – standards which are rooted in the principles of ethical journalism. The deadline is 12 April.

As a journalist, we invite you to submit news stories that exemplify the application and endorsement of ethical journalism principles. Your submissions should vividly demonstrate the positive impact of adhering to these standards in terms of the accuracy, objectivity, and reliability of your stories. Your submission should also highlight the rigorous information verification and fact-checking processes you have used in your reporting.

The five fundamental principles of ethical journalism that should be reflected in your story are:

• Truth and accuracy – Respect the truth and do everything possible to get the facts right, including checking and cross-checking, and admitting when this isn’t possible.
• Independence ─ Journalists must pledge to have and independent voice, without political or business affiliations. Where there are conflicts of interest, these should be declared.
• Humanity ─ Do not feed into prejudice, racism, hate speech and other harmful attitudes; be aware of the impact reporting will have on the safety of others.
• Accountability ─ Be accountable to readers by listening, apologizing for errors and correcting them.
• Fairness and impartiality ─ Reporting with balance builds trust.

Participating in this awards will give you an opportunity to revisit your own national professional codes of ethics and consider how they reflect ethical journalism principles.

Thematic areas of articles:

We invite journalists to submit  articles on: Social Justice and inequality, Public health and safety, Environmental reporting, Women’s Rights, Diversity and inclusion, Human Interest stories and any other topics relevant to your country.

How to enter journalism awards:

Nominate a news story that reflects  the five principles of ethical journalism mentioned above (also found at Ethical Journalism Network). Entries should only cover the period between 1 March 2023 and 7 March 2024.  We will only accept articles from online and print media outlets. Please note that stories featured on TV, radio, or in video format will not be considered for submission.

Submit a cover letter with your article. Explain how ethical journalism standards played a role in your reporting and sustained the information verification process. Since your national professional code of ethics is guided by these principles, you are also encouraged to make specific reference to it in the cover letter.

The articles are accepted in the language of their original publication. The cover letter can be submitted in either English or any of the regional.

Make sure you enter awards by 12 April 2024.

The Jury:

The jury panel will consist of representatives from civil society organisations focused on media issues, expert journalists, and academia. 

The jury will select those articles that most effectively demonstrate the  incorporation of ethical journalism standards. Jurors will analyse both the article and the cover letter supporting the submission. Reference to national professional standards and acknowledgment of these in the cover letter will present an advantage. 

Submission timeline:

• 14 March: opening the journalism award
• 12 April: deadline for submissions
• 29 April: decision and announcement of winners

Prize: a 5-day study visit to Brussels and London. During the study visit, winners will attend selected sessions of the European Partnership for Democracy’s conference, roundtables with ARTICLE19 staff and members of the journalistic community to discuss issues related to ethical journalism, disinformation and media freedom in their country, as well as international developments. The winners will also have an opportunity to meet with journalists to discuss challenges posed by disinformation in their work and share approaches to counter it.

Each of the four winning journalists (one per country) will receive a financial award of 1,000 Euros (each), in exchange for an Op-Ed and other written pieces analysing the winners’ take on solutions to disinformation in the Western Balkans region, as well as for supporting the promotion and dissemination of the campaign.

Ethical Journalism Awards: Submission form.

#CheckitFirst campaign is part of an EU funded regional project focusing on tackling foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). This project seeks to contribute to more democratic resilience to FIMI and to lessen chances of inter-communal conflict caused by FIMI in Montenegro Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, and Serbia.

*For the European Union, this designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence. For UNDP, all references to Kosovo shall be understood in the context of the Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999).