ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING THE NATIONAL AWARD
Regarding the 8th Foreign Affairs Information Session

The National Award for External Information is an award awarded by the Central Department of Propaganda and Education, the Steering Committee for External Information Work in coordination with key press agencies, including People's Newspaper; Vietnam Television; Voice of Vietnam Radio; Vietnam News Agency and related agencies and units such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Information and Communications; Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army; Central Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union;... organized annually.

I. Purpose and Significance of the Award

1. Affirming the important position and role of external information work in (i) providing information on the domestic situation, the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's laws and regulations, and Vietnam's views and positions on international and regional issues; (ii) promoting the image of Vietnam, its culture, history, and people, and enhancing the country's international standing and prestige; (iii) combating false information and distorted narratives about Vietnam in the areas of national sovereignty, ethnicity, democracy, and human rights.

2. To honor authors and groups of authors with outstanding products, initiatives, and ideas in the field of external information.

3. Motivate collectives and individuals to actively participate in external information and propaganda; strengthen the connection between external and internal information, and between agencies, units, and localities, in order to improve the effectiveness of external information work.

II. Eligibility Requirements for the Award

1. Awards are given to foreign information products including: (1) Print newspapers; (2) Electronic newspapers; (3) Electronic information pages; (4) Radio; (5) Television; (6) Photos (including press photos and landscape photos); (7) Books; (8) Video clips and (9) Initiatives, ideas, and products with foreign information value.

2. Products considered for the Award are those published in mass media; distributed, announced, and applied domestically and internationally, between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. For works published before or after the aforementioned period, at least two-thirds of the content and quantity must have been published within the specified timeframe.

3. Products that have already won awards in other competitions are still eligible to participate in this Award, but the level of award received must be clearly stated, along with information about the organizing unit and the time the competition took place.

4. Products submitted to the Award must be free from copyright disputes at the time of announcement.

5. Products ineligible for the Award include: series of journalistic works compiled from independent works by individual authors published at different times without continuity; works of fiction; works awaiting review by competent authorities; composite images, images digitally altered; and works that violate the Copyright Law, Intellectual Property Law, and other legal regulations.

III. Eligible Participants for the Award

1. Vietnamese citizens residing in Vietnam, abroad, and foreigners are all eligible to submit products that meet the Award criteria.

2. Each author or group of authors may submit a maximum of 7 journalistic works/groups of works or external information products to participate in the Award, provided they meet the Award criteria.

3. Members of the Awards Council and the Final Judging Panel are not allowed to submit entries to the Awards.

IV. Criteria for Awarding the Prize

The products considered for the Award are those that are exemplary and meet the highest selection criteria of the Award, including:

1. Regarding content

The product ensures timeliness and objectivity; has a wide reach domestically and internationally; and effectively serves external information work, specifically:

- Accurate, timely, and vivid information on (i) the political and foreign affairs activities of the Party and State leaders; (ii) Vietnam's foreign policy, the views and policies of the Party and State on international issues, ensuring national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national interests.

- To introduce the finest aspects of human culture and progressive ideas of the era, in line with the Party's viewpoints and guidelines, the national interest, and the culture of Vietnam, to the people within the country.

- Reflecting the achievements of innovation, international integration, and development, especially in the fields of economics, trade, investment, and tourism; achievements in the cause of national defense and ensuring human rights; affirming the role, position, and prestige of Vietnam in the international community.

- To promote the image of Vietnam, its people, history, culture, and the development potential of its regions and localities to the international community and overseas Vietnamese; to strengthen national unity and gain the sympathy and support of the international community.

- Protecting the Party's ideological foundation; combating and refuting erroneous and hostile viewpoints, distorted arguments, and false propaganda about the situation in Vietnam by hostile and opportunistic forces.

2. In terms of appearance

2.1. Awards for works in the fields of journalism and publishing

Categories: Articles, interviews, reports, commentaries, essays, feature stories, investigative reports, journalistic pieces, radio and television programs, multimedia information products, photographs, books, etc., as stipulated in Clause 1, Article 4 of these Regulations.

Authors or groups of authors participating in the Award must submit their foreign affairs information works according to the following regulations:

Printed newspapers:A single article or series (no more than 5 installments), a special feature by the same author or group of authors, on the same event or topic. If the work is published in multiple languages, only one representative work should be submitted. The submitting organization or individual must clearly state the reason for selecting the work in the language for the competition.

Online newspaper: An article or series of articles (no more than 5 installments) showcasing the characteristics of online journalism, including multimedia works, by the same author or group of authors, on the same event or topic. The work must be original and created specifically for online journalism; works taken from print newspapers will not be considered. If the work is published in multiple languages, only one work in the representative language should be submitted for the Award. The submitting organization or individual must clearly state the reasons for choosing the languages ​​for the award and the total number of languages ​​in which the work has been published.

Website:An article or series of articles (no more than 5 installments), including multimedia works, by the same author or group of authors, on the same event or topic. The work must be original and characteristic of online journalism; works taken from print newspapers will not be considered. If the work is published in multiple languages, only one work in the representative language should be submitted for the Award. The submitting organization or individual must clearly state the reason for choosing the work in the language for the award.

Radio broadcast:A work or group of works on the same event or topic, broadcast in one or more episodes (no more than 5 episodes). Each work should not exceed 60 minutes in length. The work must demonstrate the characteristics of radio broadcasting, including clear sound, character voices, sound effects, and music that meet quality and are engaging. All audio used in the work must be copyrighted.

Television:A single work or group of works (no more than 5 programs) on the same event or topic. Each program should not exceed 120 minutes in length. The work must demonstrate the characteristics of television journalism, namely moving images; the images and sound must meet quality and be engaging. The images and sounds used in the work must be copyrighted.

Image:Including press photos and landscape photos:

- Press photography: Single photos, photo series, or photo essays. For photo series or photo essays with the same content, only those with no more than 10 photos, published in the same issue or at the same time (for online newspapers), will be selected.

- Landscape photography: Single photos and photo series. For photo series, only those with no more than 10 photos, published in the same issue or at the same time (for online newspapers), will be considered. Photo collages and photos edited using computer software will not be considered.

Book:A book or a set of books published in Vietnamese or a foreign language.

2.2. Awards for video clips and initiatives, ideas, and products with valuable informational value for foreign affairs.

Video clip:A video clip or series of video clips (no more than 5) about the same event or topic; created and first uploaded to an internet platform (excluding journalistic works that have been published and then reposted on an internet platform), with value in promoting the image of Vietnam and its people to the world. The images and sounds must be animated, of high quality, and engaging. All images and sounds used in the work must be copyrighted.

Each video clip submitted to the competition must be no longer than 5 minutes. For video clips uploaded to social media applications (Facebook, TikTok, etc.), the minimum length is 30 seconds and the maximum is 2 minutes.

Initiatives, ideas, and products with valuable informational value for foreign relations:These initiatives, ideas, and activities have a positive impact on promoting and spreading the image of Vietnam and its people to the world; are in line with Vietnamese culture and traditions, and receive widespread public support.

3.Works and publications distributed domestically must comply with Vietnamese law. Authors/groups of authors with multiple works/products participating in and winning awards will only receive the highest award.

V. Application Documents for the Award

1. About the author

Author's resume includes: Full name, pen name, ID card number or citizen identification number, current title, workplace, mobile phone number, email address.

For author groups, please include a note indicating the person representing the group.

2. Regarding the work/product

2.1. Works in the fields of journalism and publishing

Each work must be accompanied by a brief introduction in Vietnamese (type, genre, main content, circumstances of creation, paying attention to highlighting the originality, impact, appeal, etc., of the work).

For print media, online newspapers, and websites:The submission must be an original printout or a clear photocopy from a print or online newspaper (a link must be included via email for online newspapers and websites). If the work has small, fragmented continuations, these must be cut and pasted onto A4 white paper and clearly numbered; four copies must be included.

For radio works:The work must be recorded onto a CD, USB drive, or via a link to an internet data storage service such as Dropbox, Google Drive, etc., with only one work per disc. The disc label must clearly state the name of the organization, author, title of the work; genre; duration and broadcast time; the lyrics of the work; and include confirmation from the managing organization.

For television productions: You must submit links to online data storage services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, etc., containing the work, along with a DVD or USB drive, clearly stating the name of the organization, author, title of the work; genre; duration; broadcast time; script with detailed commentary; and confirmation from the managing organization.

For photojournalism: Along with the photos published in newspapers, magazines, etc., you must include enlarged photos on photographic paper measuring 18cm x 24cm (single photos) and 12cm x 18cm (for group photos or photo essays).

For landscape photography:Along with the photos published in newspapers, magazines, etc., you must include enlarged photos on photographic paper measuring 18cm x 24cm (for single photos) and 12cm x 18cm (for group photos).

For books:The submission must be the original copy (sending a PDF file with a photo of the book via email is encouraged). If the entry is a translated book, a written agreement between the author, translator, and publisher regarding participation in the competition and acceptance of the award (if won) must be included.

2.2. Video clips and initiatives, ideas, and products with valuable informational value for external relations.

For video clips:The application includes: Information about the author(s); an overview of the work (paying attention to highlighting its originality, reach, appeal, metrics showing its reach, and the internet addresses where the video clip was shared); a DVD or USB drive must be submitted, or a link to an internet data storage service such as Dropbox or Google Drive must be provided.

Specifically for video clips uploaded to social media applications (Facebook, TikTok, etc.), copyright requirements must be met, the video must be uploaded to a personal account, and one of the following hashtags must be used in the post: #giaithuongttdn; #ttdn

For initiatives, ideas, and products with valuable informational value for foreign relations: The application dossier includes the content/explanation of the initiative, the specific unit and author, and proof of the initiative's widespread effectiveness.

The judging panel will not return entries submitted to the Award.

VI. Award Structure

- 01 Special Prize: awarded to the work with the most outstanding content among the entries submitted to the Award.

- Awards are given to works/products in the following categories: (1) Vietnamese print newspapers; (2) Vietnamese online newspapers and websites; (3) Foreign language print newspapers; (4) Foreign language online newspapers and websites; (5) Radio; (6) Television; (7) Photos; (8) Books; (9) Video clips and (10) initiatives, ideas, and products with foreign information value.

- The prize structure for each category includes: 1 First Prize; 2 Second Prizes; 3 Third Prizes and 5 Consolation Prizes.

- The number of awards will be decided by the Awards Council based on the actual quality of the submitted works.

VII. Rights of Award-Winning Authors

1. For winning entries, the prizes include:

- The emblem of the National Award for External Information.

- Certificate from the Awards Council.

- Prize money as per regulations (Grand Prize: 30 million VND; First Prize: 20 million VND; Second Prize: 15 million VND; Third Prize: 10 million VND; and Consolation Prize: 5 million VND).

2.Award-winning organizations and individuals are entitled to use and exploit the Award's emblem for promotional and publicity activities; and may be commended by the relevant ministries, agencies, and units in accordance with the law.

VIII. Resolving complaints and denunciations and handling violations

1. Individuals have the right to appeal the results of the Award selection process and any violations of the regulations, procedures, and processes for awarding the Award. The appeal must clearly state the full name, address, and reason for the appeal and be sent to the Award's Standing Committee. The Award's Standing Committee is responsible for reviewing and responding to the appeal, and reporting the results to the Award Council. Appeals without a clear name and address, or those submitted under a false identity, will not be considered.

2. The Awards Council will revoke the Award and notify the relevant authorities for resolution in accordance with the law in the following cases: (i) entries that violate the Press Law, Publishing Law, Copyright Law, Intellectual Property Law, relevant State regulations, and these Regulations; (ii) misuse of the awarded Award to commit illegal acts. The Council will not consider applications without a name, unclear address, or those submitted under false identities.

The withdrawal of the award will be publicly announced through the media.

IX. Award Standing Committee

Nhan Dan Newspaper is the Standing Agency for the 8th National Award for Foreign Information.

News agencies, publishing houses, ministries, departments and localities, Vietnamese representative offices abroad, Vietnamese friendship organizations with other countries, and authors/groups of authors whose works/products meet the regulations in this Announcement should select and submit their entries for the Award before August 1, 2022 (based on the postmark).

Reception address:

Office of the Party Committee and mass organizations of Nhan Dan Newspaper, 71 Hang Trong Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.

Phone: 024.39381487

Email: giadoingoailan8@gmail.com

The envelope should clearly state: Application for the National Award for External Information./.