The Ui Cadhain Prize is a new initiative set up to inspire the next generation of young journalists.
At Dublin Inquirer, we’re passionate about independent local journalism, which is why we’re supporting the prize. We want to encourage young people to try their hand at reporting stories from their communities.
Recently, Natalie Lewendon, project manager for the 2017 Ui Cadhain Prize, explained what it’s all about:
“Each one of our young people lives in a different Dublin. We’re asking them to explore their local areas, meet others who live and work in their communities, ask questions, and sniff out a story good enough to print in a summer issue of Dublin Inquirer,” Lewendon says.
“We believe local journalism deserves to be celebrated and invested in for the future, and we wanted to create something that would develop an interest in investigative journalism, storytelling and local issues from an early age,” she says.
“From this idea, we developed the idea of a competition with a focus on creativity and on rewarding young people interested in writing and journalism. The prize is about giving kids a say, recognising their opinions and letting them tell us what stories speak to them, what motivates them, and what intrigues them about their environment.”
The Details
There will be a cash prize for the overall winner, with special-consideration awards for two runners-up who have shown great skill in writing, or found an especially exciting story to tell.
The winning stories will be chosen from a shortlist by the Dublin Inquirer team, and will be printed in a summer issue.
The overall winner – the author of the story we find most compelling, surprising or inventive – will also get to shadow me on a day’s work experience at Dublin Inquirer.
Young people aged 10–14 and living or studying in Dublin’s inner-city area are invited to submit stories of a maximum of 1,000 words by midnight on 31 March 2017.
More details as well as ideas, resources, writing tips and guidelines on how to stay safe and participate responsibly are available at www.uicadhainprize.com.