FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Christie Boxer/Awards Chair
cboxer@adrian.edu
Council on Contemporary Families 2015 Media Awards
for Outstanding Coverage of Family Issues * Nominations are open!
AUSTIN, TEXAS, NOVEMBER 12–The Council on Contemporary Families (CCF) announces the opening of nominations for its Twelfth Annual Media Awards competition. We honor outstanding journalism that contributes to the public understanding of contemporary family issues, in particular the story behind the story: how diverse families are coping with social and economic change; what they need to flourish; and how these needs can best be met. The Council will consider both print and broadcast pieces that appeared during a two-year period: 2014 and 2015. The deadline for nominations is January 10, 2016.
The CCF Media Awards are presented to recipients at our annual conference. Our upcoming conference, held in Austin, Texas on March 4-5, 2016, will include dynamic presentations and discussions on the state of contemporary families related to “Families as They Really Are: Demographics, Disparities, and Debates.” A list of confirmed speakers and conference hotel information can be found here.
Journalists, reporters, and producers who present complex family issues in their broader social context are essential partners in our shared mission to promote a balanced national conversation about the cultural, legal, and psychological issues that shape both private life and public policy.
Past winners include journalists from USA Today, Time Magazine, the Boston Globe, the San Antonio Express-News, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Baltimore Urbanite, KPCC (Southern California Public Radio), Thirteen/WNET, AlterNet, the Associated Press, among many others. Stories cover topics ranging from the consequences of parental snooping on tech-obsessed teens to hunger in Oklahoma and the role of religion in American family life.
Nomination Criteria
Writers, editors, and producers may self-nominate; CCF members are also encouraged to submit nominations.
Submissions must draw on traditional journalistic techniques of interview, observation and documentation. Opinion pieces are not eligible. Work must have been published, broadcast, or posted during calendar year 2014 and 2015.
- Video and radio submissions must not exceed 30 minutes.
- Written submissions must not exceed 2000 words; excerpts are acceptable.
- A series that covers a particular issue over time is eligible.
Deadline for Nominations
Nominations must be received by January 10th, 2016.
Winners will be notified by February 1st, 2016. Awards will be presented on March 5th at 12:00pm, at the Council on Contemporary Families 18th Annual Conference on March 4th and 5th, 2016. Winners are invited to attend the entire conference in full. We urge winners to accept their awards in person. Awards will be presented at a plenary session, and our honorees will be invited to speak for five minutes on emerging issues affecting American families and how CCF members and supporters can help the media cover these stories effectively.
Submission Instructions
Please submit:
- Completed Electronic Application Form (link available at: https://contemporaryfamilies.org/2014-conference/2015-ccf-media-awards-call-nominations/)
OR
- Relevant electronic materials (e.g., website url, word document or pdf files) via email to the chair of the CCF Media Awards Committee, Christie Boxer, at: cboxer@adrian.edu (subject line: CCF Media Awards Nomination).
Conference Details
This year’s conference is titled Families as They Really Are: Demographics, Disparities, and Debates. Conference details and confirmed speakers are posted at https://contemporaryfamilies.org/2016-conference-date/.
CCF and how CCF assists journalists: The Council on Contemporary Families is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of family researchers, mental health and social practitioners, and clinicians, dedicated to providing the press and public with the latest research and best practice findings about American families. Founded in 1996 and based at the University of Texas at Austin, the Council’s mission is to enhance the national understanding of how and why contemporary families are changing, what needs and challenges they face, and how these needs can best be met. To learn more about other briefing papers and our annual conferences, including complimentary press passes for journalists, contact Stephanie Coontz, CCF’s Director of Research and Public Education and Professor of History and Family Studies at The Evergreen State College: coontzs@msn.com.
