Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (second, right) and head of the Party Central Committee's Information and Education Commission Vo Van Thuong (second, left) present the first prize of the National External Information Service Awards 2018 (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) 𝔉- Pursuant to regulations on the National ExternalInformation Service Awards 2019, hereinafter referred to as the “Awards”, theCouncil for National External Information Service Awards in 2019 calls forsubmissions from media and publishing agencies, Vietnamese andforeigners. 

I. AWARDING CRITERIA:

1. Content:

The entries must be timely, unbiased,faithful, standardized, and scientific, influential nationally andinternationally, and appreciated by the public. Submitted works must contributeto Vietnam’s external information service in at least one of the following fourways:

- Give accurate, timely, and vivid information of the external and internal activities of the Party and State leaders that have external impacts, the stance and guidelines of the Party and State on international issues, andsolutions to sovereignty issues.

- Provide a faithful and unbiased reflection of the country’s achievements in innovation, international integration, and development, especially in the fields of economics, trade, investment, tourism, achievements in national defence, and affirming Vietnam’s role, position, and prestige in the international community.

- Promote images of the country and the people, especially the history and culture of Vietnam, images of regions and localities across the country, images of the overseas Vietnamese community, affirming Vietnam’s achievements in ensuring human rights, achievements in demarcation and landmark planting, and protection of Vietnam's national sovereignty at sea.

- Protect the Party's ideological foundation, and combat distorting or hostile viewpoints, fabricated information, and false accusations about the situation in Vietnam from hostile and opportunist forces.

2.Entry Regulations 

2.1. Submissions can be in Vietnamese ora foreign language, and must have been broadcast via mass media and publishedin Vietnam or in a foreign country from January 1 to December 31, 2019.

2.2. Works which have already been honoured in other contests are eligible for the NationalExternal Information Service Awards 2019, but must clearly state the award and information about thespecific award, the organiser, and contest date. 

2.3. Submissions must be free fromcopyright dispute since the release date. 

2.4. Works ineligible for the Awardsinclude: a series of stories which are independent works of individual authorsat different dates of publishing without a single name for the series, workspending assessment of competent agencies, and photos manipulated using photo editing software.

2.5. Forms and genres:

Include: news, interview, personalnarrative, commentary, treatise, reportage, investigative reports, chronicles, radio broadcast, television broadcast, multi-mediaproducts, photos, and books. 

Authors or a group of authors must submit their entries tothe Awards in accordance with the following regulations:

- Printednewspaper: 

One or a series of story items (no more than five) mustbe by the same author or group of authors about the same events or topics.

If the entry was published indifferent languages, only one version is eligible for submission. Entrants mustclarify the reason for selecting the language of the submitted entry. 

- Onlinenewspaper:

One or a series of story items (no more than five) mustcarry the characteristics of an onlinenewspaper, including multimedia items, by the same author or group of authorsabout the same event or topic. Online news entries must be created initiallyand exclusively for online newspapers. Entries republished from printnewspapers are not eligible.

If the entry was published indifferent languages, only one version is eligible for submission. Entrants mustclarify the reason for selecting the language of the submitted entry.

- NewsWebsites:  

One or a series of story items (no more than five),including multimedia items by the same author or group of authors about thesame event or topic. Online news entries must be created exclusively for newswebsites. Entries republished from print newspapers are not eligible. 

If the entry was published indifferent languages, only one version is eligible for submission. Entrants mustclarify the reason for selecting the language of the submitted entry.

- RadioBroadcast: 

One or a series of stories (no morethan five) about the same events or topics. The duration of a story is no morethan 60 minutes. Entries must have clear sound quality for characters’ voices,noise, and music. Background sound and music used in the entry must becopyrighted. 

- TelevisionBroadcast: 

One or a series of stories (no morethan five) must be about the same event or topic. The duration of eachprogramme is no more than 120 minutes. The entries must carry thecharacteristics of television broadcast. The footage and soundtrack of entries must be attractive and meetquality standards. Footage, background sound and music used in the entry mustbe copyrighted.

- PressPhoto:

A single photograph, set of photos,or photo essay.

Sets of photos about the same matteror photo essays may be submitted with no more than ten photos, published in the same newspaper issue or at the sametime (for online newspapers). Photos manipulated using photo editing softwareare not eligible.

- LandscapePhoto: 

A single photograph or set of photos.

Sets of photos about the same matter maybe submitted with no more than ten photos, published in the same newspaperissue or at the same time (for online newspapers). Photo collages or photosmanipulated using photo editing software are not eligible.

- Book: A single book or set of bookspublished in Vietnamese or foreign languages related to external informationservice. If published and released in Vietnam, the submission must meet legalregulations of Vietnam.

3.Submission Document Guidelines 

3.1. Author of Entry

The author must be an individualauthor or group of authors who are Vietnamese or foreigners. Each individualauthor or group of authors is allowed to submit a maximum of seven works orsets of works. 

Members of the final round’s juryboard are not allowed to submit their entries.
 
3.2. Entry 

Each entry must include a generalintroduction of the entry in Vietnamese which should present the form, genre,main content, context of the story, and outstanding features of the entry’sfindings, influence, and attraction.

Forentries in print, online newspaper, and news website: entry must be submitted in theoriginal printed copies or copies from a printed newspaper or online newspaper,attached with links to the online newspaper and news website (for entries fromonline newspaper and news websites). If the entry includes several pieces,these must be pasted on A4 with page numbers and have an attached photocopy. 

For radiobroadcasts: entries must be copied oncompact disc (CD) (each CD must contain only one entry), or USB drive (authorsare encouraged to submit their entries via USB), with the name of the agency,author, entry title, genre, duration and time of broadcast written on thecover, and a transcript of the entry, certified by the publication.  

Fortelevision broadcasts: entries must be copied on DVD or USB drive, attached with links to thebroadcasts, with the name of the agency, author, entry, genre, duration andtime of broadcast written on the cover, and a detailed running-order sheet,certified by the production agency. 

Forpress photos: inaddition to photos already published ina newspaper or magazine, submissions must include enlarged photos onphotographic paper sized 18cm x 24cm (single photo) and 12cm x 18cm (set ofphotos or photo essays).

Forlandscape photos: in addition to photosalready published on newspaper or magazine, submission must include enlarged photos on photographic paper sized18cm x 24cm (single photo) and 12cm x 18cm (set of photos).

Forbooks: Entries must be the original copy. If the entry is a translated book, it must be submitted with a proof ofagreement between the author, the translator, and the publishing houseregarding awards entry and prize acceptance in case of winning.

Note: Ineligible works are those that fail to meet theabove requirements. The organizing board will not returncontest entries.

II.PRIZES

The National External InformationService Awards 2018 offers annual prizes in the following categories: (1) printnewspaper (in Vietnamese and foreign languages); (2) online news (e-newspapersin Vietnamese and foreign language, and news websites); (3) radio broadcast;(4) television broadcasts; (5) photo (press photo, landscape photo); and (6)book. Each category consists of first, second, third and consolation prizes.

The number of prizes is decided bythe organizing board. 

1. The first, second, and third prizeconsists of
-  National External InformationService Award 2018 trophy
-  A certificate from theorganizing board
-  Cash prize

2.  The consolation prize consistsof
-  A certificate from theorganizing board
-  Cash prize 

III.STANDING AGENCY OF CONTEST

Vietnam Television is the standingagency of the National External Information Service Awards 2019.

The contest is open to eligibleentries from media agencies, publishing agencies, ministries, sectors,localities, representative agencies of Vietnam abroad, Vietnam’s friendshiporganisations, and Vietnamese and foreign authors. Entries must be submitted priorto March 31, 2020. 

Pleasesend entries to: The Secretarial Division, The Administration Office, VietnamTelevision

Address: 43 Nguyen Chi Thanh Street,Ba Dinh district, Hanoi 
Tel: +84 2438315426 or +84 973 952 105; +84936 351 989
Email: giaithuongdoingoai2019@gmail.com

𒉰 Please write “Submission for National External Information Service Awards 2019” in email subject or postal envelope./.