JOURNALISM

CALL FOR ENTRY

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Investigative Journalism Award
Open call until June 15, 2022


In the absence of a consolidated investigative practice in the public space of the Cuban media, the INSTAR Awards have a formative character. Therefore, the aim is to identify the best research proposals according to three fundamental parameters:

a) The proposals will have Cuba as the thematic axis. The development of topics is not limited to the national territory, but the objective of the investigation must directly raise public interest for social, political, economic, and cultural life in Cuba.

b) Research necessarily seeks informative enrichment and an interpretative analysis based on relevant or unpublished data on any matter of public interest that has not been previously addressed rigorously or in depth by the national or foreign press and that lends transparency and a new understanding of the Cuban context in the social, political, economic and/or cultural spheres.

c) The proposals deal with facts and use evidence to demonstrate. Appellative or subjective proposals will not be considered. Priority will be given to proposals that clearly state the objective of their research and can provide demonstrable data in this regard.


1. Category

1.1 The INSTAR Awards for Investigative Journalism, according to criteria assessing quality and rigor, will be selected as the best journalistic research on Cuba.


2. Participation Requirements

2.1 Any Cuban natural person (over 18 years of age) and/or organization residing or with a registered office anywhere in the world and tied to the practice of journalism or research. Participation is free.

2.2 The application form is on our website.

2.3 Proposals should be sent to the email periodismo@INSTAR.org and must be submitted under a pseudonym to ensure the impartiality of the jury. In the same email, the author must attach a separate document with their full name, address, email, telephone number, places of birth and residence, as well as a brief biobibliographical note. INSTAR will only send the jury the document signed with the pseudonym.

2.4 In the case of proposals sent by organizations, include the name, company name or legal ID (if applicable), brief description of the organization, date of foundation, residence, website, and personal data of those involved in the proposal. We will not consider participants sent outside the dates of the call.


3. Presentation of Projects

Projects sent to the INSTAR Awards for Investigative Journalism must include:

a) Title of the investigation.

b) Research topic (research area and context, institutions, or subjects involved).

c) Research objectives.

d) Brief overview of the research (500-1000) words. The overview must guarantee the progress of research and its value for the Cuban social context.

e) Geographic overview of the research project: Institutions, areas, locations and/or research sources involved. When relevant, we understand that sources’ identity must be protected.


4. Jury and selection of the winners

4.1 The jury will also serve as research mentors for each of the selected proposals, and will meet twice with the winners, upon prior agreement.

4.2 According to the powers previously granted, and following the criteria of quality and journalistic rigor, the jury will select a maximum of three winning projects.

4.3 The jury's decision will be final and reserves the right to leave the prizes unassigned.


5. Prizes

5.1 Each award will carry a financial prize of USD $2,000 (or its equivalent in CUP according to a reasonable exchange rate according to the monetary valuation in the country, upon prior agreement with the winner). The fund will be delivered in two parts: the first part for research scholarship for the first six months and the second part upon completion and publication.

5.2 The winners must sign a contract with INSTAR to receive the endowment in its first and second stages, as well as signing the acknowledgment of receipt of the amounts.

5.3 The prize winners will be communicated to their winners within 24 hours after the ruling of the jury. Those participants who prefer not to reveal their names during the investigation or in their publication, they must send INSTAR with this request, as well as the guarantee and publication commitment once the research is concluded.

5.4 The finished pieces will be published in a press outlet coordinated by INSTAR and approved by the winner.

5.5 The INSTAR Awards will be unique and indivisible, even if they are awarded to a project done as a team or collaboratively.

5.6 The winning proposals will have a term of up to one year from the official announcement of the Awards to be developed, discussed with the mentor, and presented to INSTAR ready for publication and/or public knowledge. INSTAR will provide, through the Juries and the organizers of this Award, follow-up to the research development, tools (workshops and experiences) to strengthen the research, as well as the management of publication of the selected works.


6. Data Protection

6.1 The participants’ personal data will be incorporated into a file that INSTAR is responsible for, in order to manage their participation in the Awards in accordance with the provisions in these rules and to deliver the corresponding prizes. The data will be handled for these purposes until they are fulfilled and, subsequently, for five years required for legal compliance.

6.2 Likewise, unless they object at any time, based on legitimate interest:

a) The participants’ contact information may be used to invite them to events, public acts, and communicate about other opportunities within the publishing sector and relevant sectors related to INSTAR.

b) This information will be processed for these legitimate purposes indefinitely over time, until the interested parties oppose said purposes or exercise their right of deletion. To exercise your rights of access, rectification, deletion, opposition, limitation or portability, or if you consider violated your right to personal data protection, please let us know in your award application.


7. Guarantees

7.1 Participation in the Awards implies full acceptance of their rules and authorization to INSTAR for the reproduction, distribution, and communication to the public of the works presented. The contents therein, signed by their authors, will always be their intellectual property.

7.2 In addition, participants guarantee INSTAR that they are the material author of the works submitted to the Awards, that they are original and that they have not been plagiarized or taken from third parties, complying with intellectual and industrial property rights. If any of these are not adhered to, the participants will be solely responsible for any claim that may be raised by third parties, indemnifying and holding INSTAR harmless at all times.

7.3 In the event that the works are sent by a person other than the author, this person must ensure that you have the necessary authorization to do so and that the author(s) material(s) of the works presented complies with everything stated in this call.

7.4 In the event that the winning work(s) of the Awards turns out to be a plagiarism of another or infringes the rights of third parties and this is conclusively demonstrated, the winner in question will be obliged to return the financial award in its entirety, without prejudice to the right to INSTAR to initiate the actions that assist him and to claim him for damages They will be ineligible to compete in future INSTAR awards.

7.5 INSTAR guarantees that the prize funds are not sourced from any government or organization, and that they come from a public crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. To consult the origin and use of INSTAR funds, visit the following link: TRANSPARENCY

7.6 INSTAR guarantees that the winning projects will not be subjected to any kind of censorship.

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