Calling all young journalists – now is your chance to make your mark in the second Council of Europe Youth Media Award.

This year’s theme is media freedom and the competition will run until 1st of August. Four categories are open to contestants between the ages of 18 and 30: photography, video, radio and print journalism.

Winners will be invited to Strasbourg to receive their cash prize of EUR 1000 at a ceremony during the October 2011 session of the Parliamentary Assembly.

This year’s theme is inspired by one of the most important articles of the European Convention of Human Rights – article 10 (*). Without a free media and plurality of opinion, democratic societies can no longer exist. Yet contemporary media are under threat from violence against journalists, attempts at government control, concentration of ownership of media outlets, dwindling standards in press freedom and the surge of the internet as a source of instant news.

The Award is organized by the European Youth Press in collaboration with the Council of Europe.