NEW DELHI: CNN has announced the launch of the 5th edition of the Young Journalist Award (CNN YJA), with two new categories for photojournalists and journalists without an age bar, along with those defined as YJs, aspiring journalists and citizens journalists.

CNN Delhi Bureau chief Phillip Turner, who made the announcement here today, said that from this year, apart from the training facilities, certificates and prizes, winning candidates would be given laptops and digital SLR cameras to aid their work.

Turner said, "As a journalist myself, I am delighted to be associated with awards that honour responsible and quality journalism.

"While the CNN YJA is an attempt at nurturing promising journalistic potential, the CNN Journalist Award salutes the best of insightful Indian and Pakistani journalists and their efforts in voicing often unpopular issues and concerns, issues that often require great courage."

Launched in India in 2003, CNN YJA recognises and encourages quality journalism among young media professionals in India and Pakistan.

Turner added, "This year, we have also introduced the CNN Photo Journalist Award to recognise the rich tradition and contribution the photojournalists have made to this industry in India and Pakistan.

"With the addition of these new categories, CNN has reinforced its commitment to recognize and honour highest standards of journalism."

The CNN Journalist Award is being introduced to celebrate the 60th year of independence of India and Pakistan, and will seek to honour journalism that reflects the social and political realities of India and Pakistan.

It is open to all Indian and Pakistani journalists irrespective of age, and nominations are accepted from print / online and television journalists covering the broader and deeper issues in Indian or Pakistani society, with a focus on factors of social development.

The 2007 Awards will continue with the CNN Aspiring Journalist Award (CNN AJA) and the CNN Citizen Journalist Award (CNN CJA), introduced in 2006.

The former is targetted at journalism students, while the latter will pay tribute to 'citizen journalists' whose compelling submissions aid the newsgathering process.

Turner said that CNN IBN would host the citizen journalists, and Suhasini Haider added that those citizens whose journalistic work has been telecast in CNN IBN between 1 January and 30 September would be eligible as candidates

Haider said that CNN IBN's experience with citizen journalists has led to a situation in which no major national or local event, whether it be devastating floods or bomb blasts, now goes without inputs from volunteer citizen journalists and thousands of reports, still-picture and video clips hit the CNN IBN office each year.

Haidar added, "We are delighted to be involved with the CNN Citizen Journalist Award. From the cities to the countries remote corners, we are very proud that the Citizen Journalism initiative we pioneered in India has brought in such a response.

"Our viewers have become a real resource, pitching in with video, photographs and reports on breaking news stories, bringing out the situation on the ground even before our own correspondents can get there.

"Citizen Journalism has also raised civic issues in many of our cities that would have escaped national attention otherwise."

CNN has invited entries from different media categories such as print, online, photographic and television.

All entries to be eligible for the award (with the exception of entries from journalism students) should be published or aired between 1 January and 30 September.

Entrants to the CNN AJA (Aspiring Journalists Award) must submit an essay in 1000 words on the topic, "Has the media broadened its reach only to narrow its focus?"

The short-listed participants in television or print categories would then be invited to New Delhi to participate in an on-the-spot contest, which will determine the winners for the category.

The deadline for entries is 12 October. Judging of the entries will take place in November by a panel, Turner said, adding that winners will be announced at a ceremony in New Delhi in December.

Winners of the CNN Young Journalist Award will win an all-expense paid trip to News Xchange Conference 2008, an internationally recognized networking forum for broadcasters and media professionals across the globe.

Complete details of the awards, categories and nomination process are available at www.cnnasiapacific.com/yja.

CNN-IBN, Outlook and ITC-Welcomgroup have associated themselves with CNN YJA 2007.