Society of St. Paul and Indian Catholic Press Association launch prestigious Media Awards

In collaboration with the Indian Catholic Press Association (ICPA), the Indian Province of the Society of St. Paul (SSP) has established two prestigious media awards to honor India's "authors" and "media personnel."

The "Best Published Author" award, named after J. Maurus, and the "Excellence in Media Education or Outstanding Contribution to Digital Media" award, named after Blessed James Alberione, aim to recognize exceptional contributions in literature and media.

Both awards include a cash prize of Rs 15,000 (US$ 180), a citation, and a trophy, as announced by SSP Provincial Superior Father Joby Mathew and ICPA President Ignatius Gonsalves.

A three-member jury, including one nominee from the SSP Provincial, will select the winners.

J. Maurus Award for Best Published Author: Named after J. Maurus, a pioneering SSP missionary who authored and published over 125 titles in English during his 35-year tenure in India.

The award is open to authors of books, either inspirational or secular, published by a reputable house (online or offline) in the previous calendar year (January to December 2023). The publisher must have at least five years of publishing experience.

Eligible books should uphold human or Christian values, defend secularism, and advocate for equal rights for all citizens, especially women, regardless of religion, creed, or caste.

Nominations are accepted in English, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu. The works must be original, timely, and creative, with self-published entries or edited works with multiple authors not being considered.

Blessed James Alberione Award for Media Excellence: Named after Blessed James Alberione, the visionary founder of the Society of St. Paul, known for pioneering evangelization through mass media.

The award will be given to the director, producer, or scriptwriter of a commercial or short movie, YouTube video, documentary, or TV serial that upholds or promotes Christian, social, and human values.

The content should address issues such as the media's impact on people's lives, particularly the younger generation, and substance abuse among students.

The award seeks to enhance fearless, truth-seeking journalism among media practitioners in electronic media.

The deadline for award applications is August 15, 2024, as informed by Capuchin Father Suresh Mathew, ICPA Secretary.

The ICPA is a premier association of Catholic journalists, newspapers, periodicals, news agencies, publishing houses, journalists, and journalism teachers.

It is one of the oldest and most active Catholic press organizations in Asia, conferring three other annual awards:

Father Louis Careno Award for Journalism Excellence: Established in 2003 in tribute to Father Joseph Carreno, a Spanish Salesian who authored numerous books and papers. Sponsored by the Mumbai Province of the Don Bosco Salesians, this award honors contributions to the press in any language other than Hindi, such as English.

Catholic Bishops' Conference of India's Award: Recognizes the best reporting on Dalit or tribal issues.

Swamy Devenanda Chakkungal Award: Instituted by the Divine Word Congregation, this award acknowledges contributions to Hindi literature.