The 2023 Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards marks the 16th ceremony since the prizegiving began in 2007.
Since then, the awards have recognised over 160 journalists.
The second face-to-face caravan was held today in Widus Hotel, Clark Freeport Zone for the registration of entries and discussion of the details. The first caravan kicked off Tuesday in Subic Bay, Zambales.
This year’s theme is “Harvesting Progress”.
The Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards was launched in 2007 by Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc. (PMPMI). It is today continued by PMFTC Inc. (PMFTC), the company created on February 25, 2010 through a business combination between Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc. (PMPMI) and Fortune Tobacco Corporation (FTC).
In recent years, the award giving body has introduced a number of new categories to the awards to reflect journalism’s increasingly important role in highlighting the most pressing issues of the time.
CONTEST GUIDE
ELIGIBILITY: Professional Filipino journalists living in the Philippines aged 18 years old and above upon submission of entry. PMFTC Inc. and Bright Leaf secretariat employees, officials and their relatives up to the 2nd degree of consanguinity or affinity are not eligible to join the contest.
ENTRIES: No entry fee. Only entries published, aired and broadcasted locally from March 1, 2022 to February 28, 2023 will be accepted.
PMFTC Inc. reserves the right to retain full power and authority to publish any of the entries in any of its corporate publications, press releases, or other form of written or electronic documentation without prior approval of the author. However, proper recognition of the author will be made whenever his entry is used by PMFTC in any manner or form.
LANGUAGE: Entries may be in English, Filipino, or any of the Philippine regional dialects. (English translation is required for any material that is not in English)
SUBMISSION OF ENTRIES: Entries will be accepted starting March 1, 2022. The deadline for submission is 11:59pm June 30, 2023. A contestant can submit as many entries in any category. However, an entry cannot be submitted in more than one category.
CATEGORIES: AGRICULTURE STORY OF THE YEAR, TOBACCO STORY OF THE YEAR, AGRICULTURE PHOTO OF THE YEAR, TOBACCO PHOTO OF THE YEAR, BEST AGRICULTURE TV PROGRAM/SEGMENT, BEST AGRICULTURE RADIO PROGRAM OR SEGMENT, BEST AGRICULTURE NEWS STORY-NATIONAL, BEST AGRICULTURE NEWS STORY-REGIONAL, BEST AGRICULTURE FEATURE STORY NATIONAL, BEST AGRICULTURE FEATURE STORY REGIONAL, BEST ONLINE STORY, BEST STORY IN TOBACCO PRODUCT ALTERNATIVES, THE ORIENTAL LEAF AWARD
JUDGING SYSTEM
INITIAL SCREENING:
The secretariat will screen all entries based on form and completeness of requirements. Entries will be sorted according to award categories. A numerical code will be assigned to each entry to guarantee anonymity of contestants.
PHASE 1
Judging will be via points system. Entries with an average score of 85% and above will be elevated to Phase 2. The decision of the judging panel of Phase 1 are final and not subject to appeal.
PHASE 2 & FINAL JUDGING
The scores for all entries that make it into Phase 2 will be reset to zero. Judging will be via points system. Entries with the highest score wins. The decision of the judging panel of Phase 2 are final and not subject to appeal. In case of a tie, the Chairman of the Board of Judges reserves the right to make the final decision.
AGRICULTURE STORY OF THE YEAR: The winner of this award is chosen from the winners of the following categories: Best Agriculture TV Program/Segment, Best Agriculture Radio Program/Segment, Best Agriculture News Story Regional, Best Agriculture News Story National, Best Agriculture Feature Story Regional, Best Agriculture Feature Story National. Voting is by secret ballot. The second highest scorer in the category from which the winner of the Agriculture Story of the Year will receive the award for the said category. The decision of the judges are final and not subject to appeal.
CRITERIA:
Print (News and Feature) and Online Story: Relevance 25%, Impact 25%, Objectivity 25%, Research 15%, Style 10%
Photo: Composition/Relevance 40%, Creativity 30%, Impact 30%
TV and Radio: Relevance 30%, Impact 30%, Objectivity 20%, Research 20%
Bright Leaf is the name given to Virginia Tobacco because it turns into a vivid yellow when it is cured with intense heat. The discovery of the Bright Leaf tobacco brought to life the struggling economy of North Carolina in the United States. It is characterized by a distinct flavor and aroma that makes it the variant of choice for manufacturing tobacco products.
The Bright Leaf Awards are given to the most outstanding and relevant agriculture stories in print, radio, television, and online mediums. It also honors the most compelling photos that capture the essence of tobacco farming and the agriculture industry today. It acknowledges the efforts of the Filipino journalist to bring to the forefront the current issues, new best practices, safety issues, crop sustainability and many other subjects relevant to one of our country’s most important industries.
From 82 entries since its inception, there has been an increasing number of entries, as well as in roadshow attendees all over the country. Rising to the challenges of the changing times, it has successfully made the leap to connect and conduct the competition online. This has enabled us to introduce The Bright Leaf Awards to a wider audience.
Bright Leaf is committed to promoting and creating awareness on the most current agricultural issues and the best farming practices from environmental care, safety, to crop sustainability. In so doing, the general public’s attention is focused on the plight of the agriculture sector as well as the opportunities available.