
Mind Media Awards 2019
Celebrating the best portrayals and reporting of mental health in TV, film, radio, print and digital media.Awards Schedule
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29 May 2019 Entry Opening Date
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24 July 2019 Entry Closing Date
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13 November 2019 Awards Ceremony
Welcome to the Mind Media Awards 2019
Categories
- A full-length documentary or a compilation of excerpts from a series that observe and report real-life situations and stories. This might include observational ‘fly on the wall’ formats. These may be broadcast or available online.
- Series refers to documentaries that have been conceived as a series, rather than a group of unrelated programmes from the same strand.
- Entries should consist of an entire documentary, or a compilation of excerpts from a series up to one hour in length.
- A single drama or drama series transmitted on TV, radio or online.
- If entering a single drama the programme must be submitted in full.
- If entering a series two consecutive episodes must be submitted.
- Series submissions must be accompanied by information on the other episodes within the series.
- TV programmes that cover mental health within an entertainment, sports coverage, comedy or scripted reality format including entertainment magazine and chat show formats.
- Entries can be an individual programme or a compilation of shorter excerpts taken from a series or strand.
- Entries should be no longer than 45 minutes in total.
- Broadcast news strand or news programme that can best demonstrate a commitment to mental health reporting across the year.
- Entries should include a compilation of news stories which should be no longer than 45 minutes in total.
- Factual podcasts or a series of related podcasts hosted online by a website or publication.
- Entries should be a single episode or a compilation of material.
- Entries should be up to 60 minutes in total.
- A campaign or planned series of related features in print or online publications which demonstrate a commitment to raising awareness around mental health.
- This category doesn’t include a series from a columnist – these should be entered into the Journalist category.
- Entries should include information on the goal behind the campaign or series and the impact.
- Entries can include rich content such as videos included in online features.
- Excludes specialist mental health publications.
- Maximum of five articles per entry.
- Factual or docu-drama radio programme or series which explores mental health.
- Compilations from a magazine programme will also be considered.
- Entries should be no longer than one hour and can be a single programme or a compilation of excerpts.
- A TV or radio soap transmitted twice or more each week continuously for at least six months of the year.
- Alternatively, a continual drama series where stand-alone storylines conclude within each episode but the main characters continue throughout the series.
- Entries may be one episode (but should be accompanied by a synopsis of the other episodes to provide judges with context) or a compilation from a number of episodes following a single story line.
- Entries should be no longer than one hour in total.
- An individual journalist (print, broadcast or online) who has made an outstanding contribution to the understanding of mental health issues.
- Entries must originate in the UK and be published or broadcast in the UK.
- Entries must be either a body of work from across the year or an individual article which demonstrates significant research or investigative journalism.
- For broadcast entries, up to 30 minutes may be submitted.
- For print/online, a maximum of three items may be submitted.
- Columnists should enter Journalist rather than Publication.
- An individual or group of students for print, broadcast or online material developed for university or college media targeted at students, or for a piece of journalism completed as part of a university course.
- For broadcast entries, up to 30 minutes of content may be submitted.
- For print/online a maximum of three items may be submitted.
- Open to bloggers, vloggers, Tweeters, Instagrammers, YouTubers, Tumblrites and any individual online creators originating in the UK, who embrace digital media to raise awareness about mental health or to support the mental health community.
- Entries should include evidence of reach and impact.
Entry Criteria
Entries for all Mind Media Awards 2019 categories must meet the following criteria. Entries that do not satisfy the criteria below will not be considered.
The awards are judged by an independent panel of media professionals and people with experience of mental health problems.
The closing date for entries is 17 July 2019.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the Mind Media Awards 2018, programmes or articles must have been broadcast or published in the UK, or have been available online between 18 June 2018 to 17 June 2019 (inclusive).
Entries longer than the stated volume or duration (see categories) will not be considered
Essential Criteria
All winners should meet the following essential criteria:
- Relevant content
- Challenges perceptions of mental health
- Well-crafted and responsibly produced
- Safe for intended audiences
- Can demonstrate reach and impact
1. Relevant content
- The focus must be on mental health. Entries are likely to cover such mental health problems as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, phobias, psychosis, compulsive behaviours or post-traumatic stress disorder.
- For all news, documentaries and journalism entries, it must give a voice to people with mental health problems and include at least one first-hand testimony.
- It should look in depth at the emotional impact of the mental health problem on the individual and/or friends and family of those affected.
- Entries that focus purely on scientific issues such as testing new drug treatments, with no first-hand testimony, are not eligible.
- The awards do not cover learning difficulties or learning disabilities such as Asperger or autism syndrome and will not include items about dementia or Alzheimer’s.
2. Challenges perceptions of mental health
- Prompts a debate about mental health and contributes towards tackling mental health stigma and discrimination.
- Challenges myths and avoids stereotypes, clichés and negative terminology.
- Adopts positive language about mental health problems and avoids sensationalism.
- Promotes equality and encourages audiences to see people with mental health problems in the round and not just in relation to their diagnosis.
- Reaches a wide audience unfamiliar with mental health problems and helps to improve public attitudes.
3. Well-crafted and responsibly sourced
- Items must be well researched and accurate.
- News reporting must be balanced and fair.
- Engaging and appropriate for the audience for which it was intended.
- High production and editorial values.
- Demonstrates originality and relevance.
- Well structured.
4. Safe for intended audiences
- Journalists, programme-makers and film-makers have a duty to report and portray mental health problems responsibly and sensitively and should take all reasonable steps to avoid causing emotional or physical damage.
- The portrayal of suicide and self-harm must be safe and meet the Samaritans media guidelines.
- Entries must not provide explicit or technical details of suicide or self-harm as there is evidence to show that this can lead to copycat behaviour. For example, specifying the number and type of tablets used in an overdose or showing someone self-harming.
- Entries must not romanticise, glorify or simplify suicide or self-harm.
5. Can demonstrate reach and impact
- All entries should be able to demonstrate impact on a UK audience either because they were broadcast on a UK terrestrial, satellite or on-demand channel, published in the UK or have been on theatrical general release in commercial cinemas in the UK. If only available online, they must have originated in the UK and/or were demonstrably marketed to and/or consumed by a UK audience.
- Consideration will be given to the total audience reached.
- May have triggered additional media coverage or policy change.
- Credit will also be given to material that reaches a wide demographic, particularly those less likely to be well informed about mental health.
- For Digital Champion entries, it is accepted that the audience may be narrower and a successful entry may be aimed at offering support and information to those affected by mental health problems.
- For Student Journalist, it is accepted that entries may have limited reach if they are produced as part of a journalism course. They will be judged on the understanding and sensitivity shown by the student journalist and recognise their potential.
Entry Fees
£175 + VAT per entry.
Journalist, Student Journalist and Digital Champion categories are free to enter.