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Mayor launches 'Reporting Asylum - the London Press Awards'
Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, announced the launch of the 'Reporting Asylum
- The London Press Awards' scheme on the 20 September, which aims to recognise excellence
in London's local, regional, faith and black and minority ethnic
newspapers for their fair and balanced coverage of refugee and asylum
seeker issues.
The awards scheme, which is now in its second year, follows
independent research commissioned by the Mayor into media coverage of
refugee and asylum issues. The report entitled 'Reflecting Asylum in
London's Communities' was commissioned by the Mayor to look at how
issues concerning asylum and refugees are reported on by London's
press.
The report found that the sample of London's press, covering local,
regional, faith and Black, Asian and minority ethnic papers, presented
stories on asylum seekers in a balanced, accurate, wide-ranging way,
which is likely to promote an informed debate about the people and
issues involved.
Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone said,
"London is one of the most diverse cities in the world, whose history
is integrally linked to the skills and energies of newcomers from
abroad. Each successive generation of newcomers to London has brought
new skills, experiences, cultures and ideas to the city, making us a
dynamic and forward thinking city.
Given the current debate about multiculturalism and the pressures on
London's diverse communities at this time, these awards are an
important opportunity to demonstrate how newcomers enrich our city.
The multicultural character of London is why people choose to live and
work here and is central to the future success and prosperity of our
city.
It is essential that the reality of the positive contribution of
asylum seekers and refugees to London is reflected in our media. Too
often unbalanced and even racist reporting in our press can isolate
communities and deny them their right to fair coverage and voice.
These awards aim to recognise those London newspapers, which are
acting in a more responsible way."
Awards will be made to the winning publications by the Mayor and Shami
Chakrabarti, of the human rights organisation Liberty, at a ceremony
in City Hall, on Tuesday 12 December 2006.
Organisations may nominate publications for four categories of award, by completing the entry form and submitting it with examples. The closing date for entries is 31 October 2006 - go to Nominations and entries.
For more information got to: http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/equalities/pressawards/.
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