GCA Submission Deadline Ends October 1st

Sharjah Media Centre-Sharjah-UAE: September 29, 2013 - Sharjah Media Centre (SMC) has announced that the application deadline for the inaugural edition of the Sharjah Government Communication Award (GCA) is Tuesday, October 1st.

Meanwhile, the screening committee continues to sort the participations and eliminate those that do not comply with the standards and conditions of the award.

The general criteria for assessing the participations include terms related to the selection of the subject, the effort exerted, the medium used, aesthetics and effects, research and information, the thrill element, technical excellence, intellectual creativity, structure and coherence as well as quality and suitability of language.

The GCA's website www.communicationaward.ae has been witnessing remarkable turnout by media professionals in the UAE's government communication sector aspiring to participate in the various categories of the award.

The GCA comprises 11 awards divided under two main divisions; the selected categories, which includes two awards allocated for the GCC area and awarded to winners chosen by the judging panel, and the nominated categories, awarded to nine contestants who apply and compete according to certain criteria.

Under the selected categories, the Media Personality Award is given to a creative and decision-making personality, from the GCC area. On the other hand, the Leadership in Media Award, also focusing on the GCC region, is awarded to a pioneering media institution which contributed to the advancement of distinctive media achievements in the GCC.

The nominated categories comprise nine awards, four of which are dedicated for Sharjah, which are the Best Practices in Government Communication Award, Young Media Person Award, Best Official Spokesperson Award and Best News Website Award.

The other five awards are allocated to the UAE as a whole; they include the Best Journalistic Photo Award, Best Social Media Site for Government Communication Award, Best Investigative Report Award, Best Radio Talk Show Award and Best Topical TV Program Award.

The SMC has allocated $36,000 to the Sharjah Government Communication Award categories. The amount will be divided over six of the 11 categories, including Best Radio Talk Show Award and Best Topical TV Program Award, each of which presents the financial prize of USD 8,000.

The Best Investigative Report Award, open for submissions from all over the UAE, and the Best Official Spokesperson Award, for applicants from Sharjah, each offer a reward of $6,000.

The Young Media Person Award, available for applicants from Sharjah, and the Best Journalistic Photo Award, for all UAE-based applicants, award their winners with $4,000 each.

It is notable that the GCA, which is the first of its kind in the region, plans to announce the winners and honor them in an official ceremony held in the last quarter of 2013.