Latin American Investigative Journalism Awards call for submissions opens

The Press and Society Institute (IPYS) and Transparency International (TI) are accepting nominations for the 2010-2011 Latin American Investigative Journalism Award given to investigative journalists from online, print and broadcast media covering public interest issues in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Launched in 2002, the award is open to individuals and groups for reports published in 2010 that contribute to greater transparency in the public sector, business sector, media, or social spending.

Winners are awarded a first prize of US$15,000, a second prize of US$10,000 and third prize of $5,000. Both the winners and honourable mentions will be announced at the Latin American Conference for Investigative Journalism (COLPIN) in Guayaquil, Ecuador in September.

The jury consists of prominent investigative journalists from the region: Marcelo Beraba (Estado de Sao Paulo, Brazil), Gustavo Gorriti (IDL reporteros, Peru), Gerardo Reyes (Miami Herald, USA) and Tina Rosenberg (The New York Times, USA).

Last year’s first prize was awarded to Colombian journalists, Ricardo Calderón, Alejandro Santos, Alfonso Cuélla, Luz María Sierra and Carlos Eduardo Huertas for their report in Semana on illegal wire tapping by a Columbian government department. As a result of the report, the attorney general and public prosecutor opened investigations.

For more information about the awards, sponsored by the Open Society Institute and the Ford Foundation, please visit IPYS.
Submissions will be accepted until 14 May 2011.

Transparency International is the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption