25^th Annual PoleStar Awards

A pen is mightier than a sword. That is probably why the media is known as the fourth estate. For years, it has wielded absolute power and has played a catalytic role in how the nation progresses. The PoleStar Journalism Awards recognises the importance of the role of Indian journalists and honours the best of the best for their path-breaking contributions.

The PoleStar Journalism Awards was instituted in 1998, with the belief that the IT industry was going to alter global equations in India's favour. After all, India was fast emerging as an IT hub. Over the years, the PoleStar Awards has become synonymous with raising the bar of Good Journalism!

The thought was to encourage and salute exemplary work in Technology Journalism, Business Journalism and Good News Features. From a humble beginning, the awards now have over two decades of celebrating Excellence in Journalism to look back with pride. Over the years, we have cherished every moment of these awards, and we look forward to achieving many more milestones.

And now, the PoleStar Foundation invites entries for the prestigious 25th PoleStar Awards.

In its 25th year, the 'PoleStar Foundation' celebrates with the PoleStar Awards, promoting best practices among journalists and encouraging quality writing, fair play, and high ethical standards.

The broad guidelines for the contest are:

• To be eligible for the award, entries must have been published in English media (print or online) between August 1st, 2022, and September 30th, 2023.
• It's important to carefully consider the various award categories and mark applications specifically for the category they fit into.
• Each applicant is allowed a maximum of six entries, with a limit of two entries per category.
• A recommendation letter of nomination should be submitted, signed by a person senior to the applicant/editor, employed by the same organization, and included with the entry form. The recommendation letter shall certify that the applicant is personally and professionally known to the recommender, and the recommender certifies that the applicant has adhered to the journalists’ code of ethics and he /she is not aware of any information or circumstances where the applicant’s reputation, integrity and professionalism as a journalist has been called into question or otherwise impeached.
• Only published entries in RNI-registered print publications like newspapers or magazines or recognised web-based publications are eligible for entry. Blog posts or content from personal websites, for example, are not eligible.
• Plagiarism is completely prohibited and when internet sources are used in applicant’s work, then the applicant shall identify the same and credit must be given to the author, publisher and the website. If a specific consent had to be obtained on the content, the same should have been duly procured by the applicant prior to his/her usage in the publication
• If the Article has been co-authored, the same has to be disclosed and the entry has to be submitted by both the authors together. Co-authorship must be indicated in the by- line to the Article that has been submitted.
• If the web link is unavailable or the web story is behind a paywall, a published scanned copy must accompany entries of the print medium.
• A distinguished panel of Jury appointed by the PoleStar Foundation will decide the winners. The decisions made by the Jury and the Advisory Committee of the PoleStar Foundation will be final.
• In case of a winning article by multiple contributors/authors, all contributors/authors will be credited with the award with the split of prize money.
• Winners who are not residents of Chennai will be provided with travel to and from and accommodation for the Awards Ceremony (subject to domestic travel).
• No claim will be entertained in case the winner fails to collect the prize at the award ceremony.
• If there are any discrepancies in the winning articles, the Jury and the Advisory Committee of the PoleStar Foundation will take the final call to cease the prize to the winners.
• The entry must disclose if the news report/article/programme or applicant is subject to any legal notice or legal challenge/proceedings, and status thereof (pending/settled). If after submission, the news report/article/programme is subject to any legal notice or legal challenge/proceedings, or the applicant believes or has reason to believe that there is any infirmity in the veracity, originality and/or otherwise of the entry, he/she must immediately inform The PoleStar Foundation in writing. The Jury and the Advisory Committee of the PoleStar Foundation may require the applicant to furnish additional information/explanation/ material in such cases or disqualify the entry at their sole discretion.
• The decision of The PoleStar Foundation in the matter of eligibility, conduct of these Awards, selection, announcement of winners etc. shall be final and binding and no correspondence of whatsoever nature will be entertained by The PoleStar Foundation in this regard.
• The names of the winners and the prizes will be announced by The PoleStar Foundation. The date of publication of the results and the place for distribution of the prizes will be at the sole discretion of The PoleStar Foundation.
• The PoleStar Foundation reserves their right to suspend, cancel, and/or modify the rules and regulations for these Awards at any time and without prior notice.
• The PoleStar Foundation reserves the right to return or cancel any submission / entry at any stage without assigning reasons.
• In the event that there is any challenge or doubt as to the integrity, veracity, genuineness, authenticity, fairness or otherwise of any entry or applicant or any instance of his/her having violating the journalists’ Code of Ethics, the Jury and the Advisory Committee of the PoleStar Foundation may in their sole discretion, withdraw his /her submission at any stage, not limited to withdrawal or cancellation of declaration of winner(s). The decision of the Jury and the Advisory Committee of the PoleStar Foundation are final.
• Each applicant will be deemed to have read and understood these terms and conditions when he or she has signed the entry form. Each applicant undertakes to conduct himself /herself with propriety, decorum and civility.
• Applicant shall indemnify and save harmless Intellect from any loss or liability that may be sustained or likely be sustained by Intellect from any action or claim by any person, arising on account of any misrepresentation of facts or any breach of any of these terms of condition by Applicant.

The PoleStar Foundation urges Editors/Media Heads to share this Awards information with their teams. Editors and Media Heads are also requested to nominate outstanding stories/articles for consideration under each category. We thank you for your time and interest and look forward to your continued participation in the PoleStar Awards.

Nominations were closed on 24th November 2023. For more details, updates, and information on the Awards, visit www.polestar- foundation.org/journalism or follow us on Facebook and Twitter @polestarawards. If you have any queries, write to polestarfoundation@gmail.com.

PoleStar Awards - 2023: Terms and Conditions

To ensure that your entry to the PoleStar Foundation's contest is valid, please ensure it is complete, legible, and submitted on time. Entries that are incomplete, illegible, lost, or late will be disqualified. The Foundation also reserves the right to disqualify any entries suspected of tampering or abusing any contest aspect. Additionally, any entries that are deemed to be inappropriate for a general audience or that infringe on any third-party intellectual property will also be disqualified.

By entering the contest, you agree that the PoleStar Foundation and its licensees may use your story, photograph, or video in connection with the PoleStar Awards. This includes the right to exhibit, copy, publish, create derivative works from, or otherwise use your entry and other materials for any purpose on social media platforms and without additional compensation. You also agree that the PoleStar Foundation and its affiliates may use your name, likeness, and biographical information in any media for non-commercial purposes without any further compensation unless prohibited by law.

The PoleStar Foundation reserves the right to suspend, modify, or terminate the contest if it believes that there has been tampering, fraud, or any other cause beyond its reasonable control that has compromised the security, integrity, fairness, or proper operation of the contest.