Issue:

March 2022

Call for nominations

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As part of its mission as a koeki shadan houjin (public interest corporation), the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan, through its Freedom of the Press Committee, annually recognizes outstanding individual journalists and media organizations contributing to upholding the values of a free press in the Asia-Pacific region and Japan.

The award is the highlight of FCCJ's efforts to promote free speech and free exchange of information, which include issuing statements to condemn particularly serious cases of censorship, harassment or unlawful detention affecting journalists in the region and inviting speakers to highlight such problems in Japan and Asia.

The award is the highlight of FCCJ’s efforts to promote free speech and free exchange of information, which include issuing statements to condemn particularly serious cases of censorship, harassment or unlawful detention affecting journalists in the region and inviting speakers to highlight such problems in Japan and Asia. 

1. A Freedom of the Press Japan Award given to an individual or media organization (print, broadcast or exclusively online) for coverage of any Japan-based or Japan- related issue that demonstrates a strong commitment to freedom of the press and elevates Japanese media standards. This could be anything from tackling a taboo subject to an exposé of a political or financial scandal, or reporting in the face of official or other forms of pressure or intimidation. The reporting doesn't necessarily have to be investigative in nature to meet the criteria. 

2. A Freedom of the Press Asia Award given to an individual or media organization (again - print, broadcast or online) based in the region that meets the same requirements as above. We hope this category will help us forge closer ties with other FCCs in Asia, particularly in countries where journalists are under serious and continual attack. 

Step 1: A request for nominations is sent out to all members with a deadline for submissions by March 18, 2022. Members who wish to put forward a person or organization for one or both categories are required to explain, briefly, why they have nominated them. At the same time, the Freedom of the Press Committee may reach out to domestic and international media and invite them to nominate their organization or journalists for the award. 

Step 2: The Committee studies the nominations and produces a shortlist of three to five people in each category, depending on the number of candidates.

Step 3: The Board of Directors is briefed by the Committee on the shortlist and decides the winner in each category. We send out an announcement, ideally to coincide with the publication in late April of Reporters Without Borders' annual press freedom index. 

Important: If the number or the quality of nominations does not meet the Freedom of the Press Committee’s standards in any given year, the Committee reserves the right to submit a shortlist of its own nominations. No Committee member may nominate his or her own organization or colleagues, but they can vote for them if shortlisted as a result of being nominated by another member. To encourage nominations and for ease of voting, nominations can be made and votes cast online by members who cannot physically attend the Committee meeting or are not present in Japan at the time. 

The prize for each award is an engraved item of glassware and/or a certificate and a year's free membership of the FCCJ. The runner-up in each category receives a certificate. The awards are presented at an FCCJ event on media freedom in Japan and Asia to enable us to talk to the recipients about their work and, ideally, generate media coverage here and elsewhere in the region. Unless they happen to be in Japan at the time, the Asia-Pacific winner and runner-up will take part remotely.


Email your nominations and a brief explanation to:
Ilgin Yorulmaz (co-chair, Freedom of the Press Committee) iy2161@columbia.edu and David McNeill (co-chair, Freedom of the Press Committee) davidamcneill@gmail.com