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UNDP Media Award For Sustainable Human Development
Background:
 In the spring of 1997, the Lebanon Country Office took the initiative to organize a UNDP Media Award for Sustainable Human Development, a contest open to all Lebanese journalists. The contest was organized under the patronage of the Minister of Information and in cooperation with the Press Syndicate and the Journalists Association. The overall objective of the contest was to raise awareness of and promote sustainable human development, and to encourage the media to become partners and allies for increased and positive reporting on development and allies for advocacy. A second Media award was launched in March 1999.
Organizing Committee:
An organizing committee of 28 members was created mid-1997. It consisted of representatives of all main actors, including the Presidents of the Press Syndicate and of the Lebanese Journalists Association, personalities from the media (main TV, radio stations and newspapers) and representatives of government institutions, academia and development organizations. The Organizing Committee set the overall framework of the contest, the rules, regulations and procedures, and the selection criteria, and provided overall guidance and support throughout the period of the contest.
Categories:
The contest comprised five categories: press, photography, television , radio and the young talent. The latter, was introduced in the second edition for students of journalism and communication arts of universities in the country. Winners in each of the four categories were awarded a first prize in cash of US$ 3000 ( US$ 1500 for the students) and a trophy. Runners-up were awarded certificates A first prize representing a trophy was also awarded to the media institution that had best covered and promoted sustainable human development during the period of the contest.
Technical Advisory Committees:
Five Technical Advisory Committees to select the best achievements in each of the categories of the contest (TV, radio, press, photography and students), were constituted by the Organizing Committee, on the basis of voting. The criteria for selection of the members of the Technical Advisory Committees excluded all professionals working directly or indirectly with the media and with the Government. Members included mainly prominent university professors, communication specialists, economists, NGO members and development specialists. Each Technical Advisory Committee was presided by a delegated member of the Organizing Committee who was neither employed nor associated with a media institution in the country and who had no right to vote. The selection of the winner of the institutional prize was done by a special jury formed by members nominated by each of the four technical Advisory Committees.
Selection Criteria:
A common selection criteria of the individual winners in each of the four categories were as follows:
- The work presented had to reflect and develop the concept of Sustainable Human Development.
- The subject had to be treated in a positive manner and constructive criticism on issues was admitted. Favorable consideration was given to solutions or proposals for solutions, either provided by individuals and groups or by the journalist.
- The theme of the contest People Helping People had to be tackled in all submissions.
- The originality of the work, the breath and depth of the review and analysis, the degree of innovation and the impact of the work were largely taken into consideration.
The Country Programme of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) provided the operational framework for the promotion of sustainable human development in Lebanon. Information and advocacy are important, on the one hand, to raise awareness of and to promote sustainable human development and, on the other, to build the image and provide increased exposure of UNDP and its programmes in Lebanon.
The media sector in its different components, very well established and dynamic in the country and with outreach to the region, was identified as a counterpart with the potential to become a strong ally of UNDP in this process.
Private sector contribution:
The UNDP Media Award for Sustainable Human Development initiative was made possible by generous sponsorship of the private sector and the media withstanding the difficult economic situation prevailing in the country. In the first media award ten sponsors were chosen among leading national companies and organizations . Six sponsors financed the second edition. Each sponsor contributed an equal part of the total amount of US$ 100,000 in 1997-98 and US$ 55,000 in 1999-2000. It was the first time that the private sector was approached by a UN organization to finance the totality of a development support activity in the country. More than 80 companies were approached. The proposed activity was thus carefully designed to give high visibility to UNDP and the sponsors. The proposal to the sponsors was attractive because of the innovative nature and exceptional scope of the activity and its projected impact. Sponsors in return for their financial contribution were also offered a valuable package deal. The sponsors benefited from continuous exposure throughout the period of the contest:
The sponsors were associated to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) within the context of a prestigious activity - the UNDP Media Award for Sustainable Human Development, which enhanced their public image as supporters of efforts that put the people at the center of development in Lebanon.
The sponsors contributed to the promotion of an event of high quality, in support of the new paradigm of development, of the principles and values underlying the human and sustainability dimensions of development.
The contest was a promotional programme extending over one year period. Around the contest, a series of activities were developed and various initiatives taken.
- Press conferences, radio and TV interviews during the period of the contest referred to private sector contribution and mentioned sponsors.
- The brochure of the contest, displaying the logo of the sponsors, was distributed to more than one thousand media owners and executives, journalists and other media personnel, as well as to key government institutions, diplomatic missions, UN organizations and the main civil society organizations in the country.
- The TV spot was broadcast by the six main TV stations. A media ad displaying the logo of the sponsors appeared in the daily and weekly press, in French, Arabic and English,). There were also displays of full pages in the weekly supplements (roughly double quarto) and of smaller insertions serving as repeaters/reminders. The free advertising space reached the amount of US$ 600,000 in 1997/98 and US$ 700,000 in 1998-99. Media professionals agreed that this promotional campaign was one of the most visible and efficient undertaken by an organization of the United Nations System in Lebanon.
- The invitation cards for the award ceremony displaying the logo of the sponsors were mailed nominally to more than 2,000 persons (including from Government, Parliament, the public administration, the media sector, diplomatic missions, UN organizations, and different sections of civil society).
- During the award ceremony, the logos of the sponsors were prominently displayed on stage. The UNDP Resident Representative nominally thanked each of the sponsors for the generous contribution and support that made the contest possible.
The contest was a process consisting a number of supporting and complementary activities, including the creation of a database of media institutions and journalists ( around 600 journalists were identified); the orientation and training of more than 100 journalists on approaches to and issues of sustainable human development; a focused advocacy campaign targeting decision makers; and, the development of a comprehensive communications campaign in the media to reinforce the image and visibility of UNDP, on the one hand, and to expand coverage of positive change brought about by development programmes and projects, on the other.
Results:
- Reporting on sustainable human development was much enhanced and increased in scope and coverage throughout the period of the contests 1997/2000. There was also a notable increase in the coverage of the UN System and in particular of UNDP and the HDR and NHDR.
- Remarkably after the closure of the contest, several media institutions continued to take initiatives to better inform and to more effectively and efficiently communicate development matters.
Given the great success of this venture, the different partners unanimously decided that the UNDP Media Award should become a regular annual event.
Soha Bsat Boustani
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Lebanon
