Entries can be sent to: yre@eeu.antaisce.org
Acceptance Criteria
Submissions must include:
- The name of the author(s)
- Their age on the day of submission to the National Competition.
- The name of their registered school or third level institution.
- They must also: be the correct length, size and format, etc. See specific guidelines for Articles, Photographs and Video below.
- Be submitted in written or spoken English, or have English subtitles in the case of a video be focused on a pertinent (real and current) local issue.
- Concentrate on possible solutions or present existing possible solutions through an expert (different local stakeholders).
- Have been disseminated to local audiences through more than three different outlets. Proof of this will attain marks.
- Have accreditation and have permission for usage of the pictures and music which are not original and used in the Article and the Video.
- The final project, a journalistic piece (article, video clip, photograph or podcast report), must be submitted by close of business on Friday 28th March 2025. Submissions should be sent by email to yre@eeu.antaisce.org or to: Young Reporters for the Environment, 5 Foster Place, Dublin 2, D02VOP9.
NOT MEETING THE NATIONAL COMPETITION'S ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA MAY RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION.
Rules
Article
Expanded dissemination options have been introduced to this category that not only include print or traditional media but also new online platforms such as Blogposts and Extended Facebook Posts to help expand the reach of the article. Please note whether the article is disseminated via the traditional format, blog or extended Facebook post all the assessment criteria below will be applied to the content of the article.
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Written submissions must not exceed 1,000 words in length and may include illustrations and photographs. The source of all non-original illustrations must be given.
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Title that fits the best of not more than 100 characters (max 20 words) is recommended for compatibility with Twitter.
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Articles must be sent digitally in Microsoft Word or .pdf format with accompanying pictures following the photographic guidelines below.
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Original photographs should also be sent separately (see in what format under photographs below).
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Three pictures are allowed with captions of max. 20 words for each.
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This category has been expanded in 2024 to include not only print or traditional media articles but also online articles such as blogposts and extended Facebook posts (these will have the same assessment criteria as written articles). Articles can include one take, staged photos or photos from other sources that are correctly cited.
Photograph
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A single photograph must be submitted
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Photographic entries must either tell a story, or if it’s a reflection piece, the text attached to it must make sense of what the story is in relation to the photo and be accompanied by a title (preferably of no more than 140 characters) and a short caption of no more than 150 words to explain the link with environmental sustainability and/or a solution to the problem and/or issue.
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Photographs must be submitted digitally as .jpg, .png, .tif, or .gif format with a preferable resolution of not less than 150-300 dpi.
Video
This can be through long-form content like documentaries, YouTube segments, and TV news reports, or short-form content on social media like Instagram Reels and TikToks.Use of AI and other editing applications is welcomed and encouraged.
- Long-form reporting Videos must be no more than 3 minutes long and in documentary, landscape, reporter/interview style (recommended) or public service announcement (PSA) is allowed.
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A video must be accompanied by a title (not more than 140 characters).
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The format must be compatible with supported YouTube file formats.
- Short-form Campaign Videos have been added to 2024 and must be no more than a 1 minute Tik Tok, reel or vlog. This must include a call to action (filmed in portrait) Must be filmed in portrait!
- It is recommended that approximately 70% of the final video should be made up of students’ own original images, video footage and audio. If additional images (photographs, illustrations, diagrams, etc.), video footage or audio is used, the original author/source must be cited.
Podcast
Podcasts are like mini documentaries and could take the form of audio or audio/ video. They are based on news, events, history, facts etc., and use elements of direct observation, research, interviews, and documentation. For the International Competition Award only a 5-minute segment of the full podcast needs to be submitted to FEE
- Link/ Clip to segment of the podcast must be no longer than 5 minutes.
- Must have a title of no more than 140 characters.
- Link / Clip / File to the full podcast alongside 5-minute segment must be submitted to the National Operator
- Must be technically of good quality. This includes sound quality.
- Recommended that the 5-minute segment of a podcast that is sent to the National Operator is succinct and direct. Highlighting the focus and solutions posed in the full podcast.
- It is recommended that approximately 70% of the final podcast segment should be made up of students’ own original voice recording and audio. If additional external audio is used (music, sounds effects, soundbites), the original author or source must be cited in the ‘References’ list.
- The podcast is a fair and truthful representation of reality, and the sound or recording has not been edited
Judging Criteria
Judges may assign a score of 0-5 based on how well the submission meets five further criteria. Points are: 5, Excellent; 4, Very Well; 3, Well; 2, Fairly Well; 1, Qualified; and if it does not qualify 0 points. Participants are encouraged to meet as many of these additional criteria as possible, to improve their work and chances of winning. It is not, however, compulsory to meet these criteria:
Composition i.e. form, structure and quality
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The submission has to be well structured and, in the case of articles and videos, cover who, what, where, why, when, and how;
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The article or video has to have a beginning, middle and end;
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In the case of photographs and video, the picture/video technically and artistically has to be well done i.e. is it well composed and of high quality.
Fair, balanced and objective reporting
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The piece (article) has to be balanced and fair in terms of representing different sides of an argument prior to offering a suggestion of potential solution;
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The quotes used have to be from real, credible, sources;
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Scientific or statistical reporting has to be accurate and supported by sources/footnotes;
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The photograph or video is a fair and truthful representation of reality, and the subject or audience has not been manipulated. Editorial alternations to photos or video (including but not limited to colour, contrast, definition, shadows, highlights, cropping, levelling, etc.) are permissible, as long as these alternations do NOT alter the reality of the subject or object of the photo/video
Informative and well researched
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The submission has to cover relevant historical, economic, social and/or political implications and possible consequences;
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It has to make a link to the bigger global picture;
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The solution presented has to be thoroughly explained, well-argued and justified;
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The use of illustrations, pictures, supporting paragraphs, subtitles, etc., has to be thought through.
Originality, style and independence
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The piece is original in its scope or style i.e. has the participant picked a challenging topic or created an innovative or moving piece;
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The participants have to leave the school grounds i.e. engage in field work and interview people in person as well as on the telephone, not just use or quote online sources.
Dissemination
Dissemination through minimum three media outlets/events including internal school channels; Participants need to state the dissemination (genre of media outlet etc.) that has been done. A total of 5 points may be awarded for dissemination through the following channels:
- Personal Sphere = 1 Point
School Community = 1 Point
National Operator Organization = 1 Point
National Media (Newspaper, TV, radio) = 2 Points
In addition;
The Jury is at liberty not to award in the case of too few submissions and to give more than one award in the case of exceptional entries in one or more age categories. The Jury will also give points to journalistic and environmental aspects of the submissions based on their professional backgrounds. It will be scored from 0-3 points.
Legal Matters
It is your responsibility to be aware of the rules and regulations related to media creation when you work on your piece. Any submissions that An Taisce finds where there is legal doubt will be deemed ineligible for the competition. If you have any doubts on this matter, please contact An Taisce.
Use of music for video entries
It is illegal to copy or otherwise infringe upon the rights of copyright- protected music, without the express written permission of the copy- right rights-holder. Obtaining music licences to permit the use of copy- right-protected material, even for a not-for-profit video, can be problematic. As such, it is strongly recommended that you do not use copyright protected music in your video.
Please note that many platforms currently scan uploaded videos for coincidences with copyright-protected work. Work found to be using copyright-protected material is usually detected by copyright bots, and suspended from the platform. In some countries, infringement of copy- right law is enforced, and punishable by hefty fines and a criminal record. Please be aware of your national copyright laws.
As an alternative, you can resort to the YouTube Audio Library, which offers royalty-free tracks made available for any not-for-profit creative purpose, and do not require written permission from the rights-holder.
Music may also be published under an open content licensing scheme, such as the Creative Commons licence. There are still terms, conditions and restrictions applicable for music taken from the above sources, so please ensure these are fully observed and there is no copyright infringement in your video entry.
