2017 Global Health Reporting Contest

The Johnson & Johnson Global Health Reporting Contest, one of ICFJ’s flagship programs, has increased the quality and quantity of news coverage on key health issues in targeted countries and regions across the globe.

In its fourth year, ICFJ's 2017 Global Health Reporting Contest sought to continue building on the program's previous years' successes by catalyzing local networks for leading health reporters in Brazil, China, India, Russia, and sub-Saharan Africa. This year, the program offered reporting grants to former contest winners with the aim of spurring high-quality storytelling on health-related topics. 

Journalists in the targeted countries had the opportunity to participate in a 12-day study tour in the United States and receive cash prizes as part of regional competitions to recognize high quality coverage of maternal and child health, as well as other urgent health matters such as Ebola and vaccinations.

To qualify for the contest, stories had to focus on key health topics in the journalists’ regions and be published, broadcasted, or posted online in Brazil, China, India, Russia, or sub-Saharan Africa between Wednesday, February 1st, 2017 and Monday, July 31st, 2017. The deadline for submitting stories was Monday, July 31st, 2017.

Contest topics could include (but were not limited to):

• Reducing maternal, infant and child mortality;
• Reducing disease transmission from mother to child;
• Preventing malnutrition;
• Improving delivery of care and infrastructure for maternal and child health;
• Responses to the Ebola epidemic;
• Innovative approaches to delivery of vaccines.

Journalists from each country had to be employed by print, broadcast, or online media in order to qualify. The contest was also open to affiliated freelance journalists with a letter confirming their work by an editor. Submitted work had to have appeared in a media outlet based in each region or distributed mainly in the region. Submissions will be accepted in English, French (Africa), Hindi (India), Mandarin/Cantonese (China), Portuguese (Brazil), Russian (Russia). Submissions in other languages needed to include an English translation. Applicants could submit more than one entry.

Previous contests included the 2014 Global Health Reporting Contest, the 2015 Global Health Reporting Contest, and the 2016 Global Health Reporting Contest. This program was made possible with the support of Johnson & Johnson.