Terms and Conditions

ELIGIBILITY: The WPFC 2020 #PressFreedom Contest is open to everyone who is 18 years of age or older. This contest runs from 2 November – 5 December 2020.

HOW TO ENTER:
1) Visit our Instagram or Twitter account and follow us.
2) Send in your 10 second (approx.) video message in which you tell us what press freedom means to you, or a photograph or a paragraph / short story about how you’ve contributed to press freedom. Submit though DM: @UnescoNow. 
By participating in this contest, you grant the State of the Netherlands (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), UNESCO and RNTC Media Training Centre permission to display your video for promotional use. See General Conditions below. Limit of one (1) entry per person using only one (1) Instagram or Twitter account throughout the contest period. Eligibility of individual entries will be at the sole discretion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNESCO, for any reason, though specific reasons for disqualification may include use of inappropriate language or visuals. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNESCO are not responsible for and will not consider incomplete or incorrect entries. Entries generated by script, macro, mechanical or other automated means and entries by any means which subvert the entry process are void. Multiple entries received from any person in excess of the stated limitation will be void.

WHAT YOU CAN WIN:
A maximum of 20 participants of this contest can win a #PressFreedom Masterclass in Investigative Journalism from the renowned RNTC Media Training Centre. RNTC is offering this two day online, digital investigation course. The course introduces key concepts and tools for journalists working in and wanting to learn more about investigative journalism.

The masterclass strengthens your capacity to identify and research issues of governance, accountability, corruption and misuse of power and to structure powerful stories in fresh and engaging ways. At RNTC you will hone your skills as an investigative journalist in a story-based approach with proven success. World-renowned and award-winning investigative journalists are your trainers in this intensive course focusing on building and refining your own investigations.

The selection criteria for the winning videos / stories are:

  • Respect to length limit of videos (approx. 10 seconds).
  • Originality of message designed to gain the widest possible buy-in as to why press freedom and independent journalism matters.
  • The video / story / photograph you submit does not contain any copyrighted images or music. If other people are shown in your video / story, they have given permission to do so.
  • Videos / stories / photos should focus on the importance of press freedom and not be about a particular country, person or religion. Entries that focus on a certain country, person or religion will be considered ineligible.

WINNER NOTIFICATION:
The winners will be selected in the period of 6 – 8 December 2020 among all eligible entries received. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received throughout the period. During WPFC 2020 (9 and 10 December), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNESCO will announce the winners on their websites and contact them, on the Instagram/Twitter account used to enter the contest. The persons replying to the winner announcement will be considered the winners. Joining the masterclass requires a response to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the winning sender account on 20 December at the latest. Failure to respond shall mean that the winner can’t join the masterclass. The masterclass will be held on Tuesday 26 January and Thursday 28 January 2021.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNESCO are not required to award elsewhere any prizes forfeited by the chosen winner(s). Please note that the prize is not exchangeable in money, or any other forms for that matter. You cannot exchange the prize, or redirect the prize to another contestant or person. 

SUBMISSION OF VIDEO / PHOTOGRAPH / STORY:
Entries selected for display will be judged entirely at the discretion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNESCO. They decide whether or not to publish the videos / stories submitted.

INSTAGRAM/TWITTER:
Promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram and/or Twitter.

GENERAL CONDITIONS: 
By participating, each entrant agrees: (a) to abide by these Terms and Conditions and the decisions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which shall be final in all respects relating to this contest; (b) to hold harmless the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from all liability, losses and damages of any kind from entrant's participation in the contest or the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of any awarded prize (or portion thereof); and (c) to cooperate for promotional purposes on social media by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its designees, without compensation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel, modify or suspend any part of the contest for any reason.

PRIVACY: 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation it has taken all necessary measures to safeguard the personal data registered. The data will only be used for administrative and selection purposes for the World Press Freedom Conference. Moreover, the data will not be shared with external parties and only be used within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The personal data given will be destroyed within 3 months after the World Press Freedom Conference. How the Ministry of Foreign Affairs handles personal data and how to exercise your rights can be read in the privacy statement here: https://www.government.nl/ministries/ministry-of-foreign-affairs/privacy.

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