Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Julie Bishop MP, has announced the opening of applications for the 2018 Elizabeth O'Neill Journalism Award. The Elizabeth O'Neill Journalism Award commemorates the distinguished career of Elizabeth O'Neill OAM who died in service of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Indonesia on 7 March 2007. The Award builds on her tireless work to foster mutual understanding of Australia and Indonesia through accurate and informed media coverage.

The Elizabeth O'Neill Journalism Award is awarded to one journalist from Indonesia and one from Australia each year. The Award is open to high-achieving journalists from print, radio, television and online media organisations at any stage of their career.

Program

Award recipients spend up to two weeks in Indonesia/Australia on a fully funded program coordinated by the Australia-Indonesia Institute and the Public Diplomacy Branch of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and supported by the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. Programs for successful candidates are developed to build a stronger understanding and appreciation of the broad range of issues facing contemporary Indonesia and Australia.

Programs are tailored to the journalist's area of expertise and reporting responsibilities in such areas as foreign and trade policy, development assistance, people-to-people links and education and include a stay in the country's capital city (Jakarta/Canberra) with visits to at least another province/state/territory of the country visited.

During a typical program meetings may include:

• local media organisations, both commercial and government-owned

• a reciprocal visit to the employer of the host country participant

• academic institutions, including those with specialist journalism and communications courses

• media industry regulators and umbrella organisations

• government and parliamentary officials and access to ministers (where possible), and

• leading civil society and NGO figures.

 
Award conditions

The Award covers:

• business class international airfares and domestic transfers from the participant's home city, and

• accommodation, internal transport, vaccinations, visas, travel insurance and meal allowances.

 
The award does not cover the cost of travel for dependents, translators, a camera-person or other technical support people; additional baggage or other airline offerings. Successful applicants must have an up-to-date passport with at least six month's validity from date of departure.

 
Application information

Two Awards are made: one to an Australian journalist and one to an Indonesian journalist. Applicants must be Australian citizens resident in Australia or Indonesian citizens resident in Indonesia.

Indonesian applicants are required to complete an application form [PDF 100 KB] | [Word 85 KB].

Australian applicants are required to send the following three application documents to ausindonesia.institute@dfat.gov.au:

• Recent CV or biography plus a passport sized photo

• A reference letter (preferably from your current employer)

• A personal statement of 500 words total (maximum) addressing the following Selection Criteria

◦ The applicant's professional experience and record of achievement

◦ The applicant's audience reach and level of influence

◦ The applicant's commitment to develop and maintain relationships in Indonesia during and after the program.

 
Selection panels in Canberra and Jakarta will choose the successful Australian and Indonesian participants. The panels will comprise representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Australia-Indonesia Institute.

 
All applications are due by 5:00pm AEDT on 22 January 2018.

 
Evaluation

On completion of the Award program, participants will be invited to an interview to provide feedback to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade /Australian Embassy in Jakarta.

For more information visit: http://dfat.gov.au/people-to-people/foundations-councils-institutes/australia-indonesia-institute/news/Pages/elizabeth-oneill-journalism-award.aspx