Newhouse School invites submissions for 2008 Mirror Awards to recognize excellence in media industry reporting

Newhouse School invites submissions for 2008 Mirror Awards to recognize excellence in media industry reportingNovember 30, 2007Jaime Winne Alvarezjlwinne@syr.edu

In 2006, Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications established the Mirror Awards to recognize excellence in media industry reporting. The 2007 Mirror Awards, the first awards of their kind, were presented at a luncheon on June 14 at the W New York with NBC’s “Today” co-anchor Meredith Vieira serving as mistress of ceremonies. The school is now inviting submissions for the second annual Mirror Awards. The deadline for 2008 Mirror Award entries is no later than midnight on Feb. 15, 2008. Complete information, including an application and entry guidelines, is available on the Mirror Awards website, http://mirrorawards.syr.edu.

The Mirror Awards focus on all media — traditional and new — including newspapers, magazines, radio, television broadcasting, cable, satellite, film and the entire digital sphere of the Internet. Six juried categories recognize reporters, editors and teams of writers who hold a mirror to their own industry for the public’s benefit. The Newhouse School established the awards to recognize winners for news judgment and command of craft in reporting, analysis and commentary on developments in the media industry.

The Mirror Awards are open to anyone who conducts reporting, commentary or criticism of the media industries — television, newspaper, magazine, radio, advertising, public relations, the Internet and other forms of content — in a format intended for a mass audience. Individual award categories include best single article, print media; best single article, video or audio; best investigative piece; best profile; and best commentary. One award for editors or teams of writers will be given for overall excellence in coverage of the media.

The 2008 Mirror Awards will also include two achievement awards open to any individual in an organization by nomination of the awards committee only. The first is for lifetime achievement and is an occasional award given to a reporter, editor or publisher who has made distinct, consistent, long-term and unique contributions to the public’s understanding of the media. The second, a new leadership award, will be given each year to an individual, group, corporation or innovation that has made a profound impact on the media landscape in that calendar year or that has captured the public’s imagination about the potential or importance of the media in a unique way.

The second annual Mirror Awards ceremony will take place in New York City in June 2008. For more information, visit http://mirrorawards.syr.edu or contact Jean Brooks, Mirror Awards coordinator, at (315) 443-5711 or mirror@syr.edu.