About the Award
The Biodiversity Reporting Award (BDRA) is an annual award co-organized by Conservation International's Strategic Marketing + Global Communications Division, the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), the International Federation of Environmental Journalists (IFEJ) and Fundación Biodiversidad (FB) founded by Spain's Environment Ministry.
Both the ICFJ and IFEJ are recognized, well-respected and independent institutions that have helped guarantee the contest's prestige and credibility with the international media. Fundación Biodiversidad joined the organization of the award as part of its mission to promote the conservation of biodiversity in Latin America.
In addition to these global partners, local partners collaborate on the award in some countries, such as the Alliance for Conservation of the Atlantic Forest - a partnership between CI-Brazil and the Brazilian organization Fundação SOS Mata Atlântica.
Achievements
1999 - The BDRA is launched as a pilot project in Guatemala and Guyana, with support from the Marian Heiskel Charitable Fund. Nineteen journalists participate in the contest with 42 stories. First Prize winners Robert Bazil and Edgar Arana travel to the VIII IFEJ Conference in Bogotá, Colombia.
2000 - Based on its success, the BDRA is expanded to include Colombia. Thirty-five journalists, from 17 media houses, enter 85 stories. Winners Jorge Jimenez, Miranda la Rose and Zilia Castrillón go to Cairo, Egypt, to participate in the IX IFEJ Conference.
2001 - Financing from the Virginia W. Cabot Foundation allows the competition to be expanded to three additional countries: Bolivia, Brazil and the first African country, Ghana. From 88 participants, six winners are chosen who went on to attend the X IFEJ Conference in Germany.
2002 - Peru replaces Guatemala in this fourth annual contest. One hundred fifteen journalists enter 222 articles. Six winners travel to Baltimore, Maryland, USA, to attend the XII Annual Conference of the Society of Environmental Journalists of the US (SEJ).
2003 - The contest is organized in the same six countries. Additionally, a pilot project in Peru and Bolivia launches an award for Radio, with 18 participants in both countries. Six winners, selected from a total of 125 journalists, participate in the XIII SEJ Conference in New Orleans, USA.
2004 - Madagascar replaces Ghana and the contest continues to be held in six countries. In this sixth edition, 109 print journalists, representing 72 media outlets, participate in the award with 186 stories. Brazil launches a new category, Television, and receives 22 stories from 17 journalists from 11 television programs. The seven winners travel to Bangkok, Thailand, to take part of the III IUCN World Conservation Congress.
2005 - Financing from FB allows the competition to be expanded to Ecuador and Venezuela. The award program now comprises eight national awards for written press, and one television award for Brazil. The Regional Andean Award is celebrated for the first time, honoring the best two reports from the Andean region. During 2005, 212 journalists, representing 107 media, sent 376 written stories and 33 television reports.
2006 - The award is organized in nine countries and 12 categories with a participation of 588 printed articles, written by 363 journalists and representing 148 media outlets. Peru receives the highest number of articles: 104. Brazil holds, for the third time, its television contest, with 68 reports. The eight Latin American winners travel to Madrid to attend the Eighth Environmental National Congress of Spain; journalists from Ecuador and Colombia are honored with the First and Second Andean Prize, respectively.
2007 - Our partner ICFJ extended the BDRA to Belize and four countries in the Caucasus region. Once again, Peru received the highest number of articles: 147. Seven Latin American winners traveled to Bariloche, Argentina to attend the II Latin American Park Congress. Journalists from Bolivia and Mexico were honored with the First and Second Latin American Award, respectively.
As a result of nine years recognizing the excellence in environmental journalism, this website offers more than 2500 stories written by some 950 journalists, representing a great expression of what has been published in the media in these biodiversity-rich countries.
Judging and Prizes
The judging process takes place online. The five-member panel, selected for each country, has direct access to special instructions and evaluates the entries through a secure BDRA webpage. Using the BDRA website has enabled the organizers to select qualified, veteran environmental journalists and academics located around the world to judge the articles.
In keeping with the competition's philosophy that journalists need to be awarded with opportunities for professional development, first place winners from Latin American countries receive an all expenses paid trip to an international environmental journalist conference.
The BDRA has consolidated itself as a powerful tool capable of encouraging the coverage of environmental and biodiversity issues and useful for building local and international alliances. By giving journalists professional incentives to pursue environmental stories, they in turn have taken steps to lobby for more space for environmental coverage in their local media.
Furthermore, the in-country Award ceremonies themselves have increasingly become high-profile events that acknowledge not only the work of the journalists, but also the commitment of the media outlets. By inviting key government and private sector representatives, the award is steadily getting the buy-in of editors and publishers.
