The top distinction in the World Young Readers Prizes, the annual awards from the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), recognized the local press group’s commitment to youth as a long-term, must-do priority.

 “This is one of the best long-term young readers programmes ever: led by extensive research, thought out and strategic, guided by a 'need to have' philosophy about young readers,” the jury said in making the award.

The World Young Reader Prizes are part of WAN-IFRA’s efforts to recognise, encourage and disseminate innovative ideas and thinking to help build stronger and vital news media. World Young Reader Prize winning strategies are celebrated and shared as they benefit not only the media companies and their young audiences but also society as a whole.

The awards will be presented at the WAN-IFRA World Young Reader Summit and Ideathon from 24 to 26 November in Bali, Indonesia, a free event with admission open to all news publishers, with priority to WAN-IFRA members and past prize winners.  More about the summit can be found at http://www.wan-ifra.org/node/113678

In all, news publishing companies from 13 countries were honoured with World Young Reader Prizes, including these top winners:

WORLD YOUNG READER NEWS PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR

Amedia group (Norway) - Amedia’s multifaceted actions include an ongoing study of the same 3,500 young people since 2008, a daily youth enhancement tip for all the group’s editors, along with a bi-annual compilation of global best, workshops and resources for using the news in education, and an annual Young Reader Conference for the group’s newspapers. And they share some of this with their competitors.

A GREAT HELP – TOP AWARD

Mindener Tageblatt (Germany) for Azubify - a multiplatform set of tools to help companies and youth connect for apprenticeships. This special category was supported by Chevron and honors a win-win partnership with a financial supporter that helps sustain excellence in news publisher engagement and service of youth.

BRAND – TOP AWARD

Volksblad (South Africa) for SkoolBLUES, interactive comic strip for teenagers.

DIGITAL FIRST - TOP AWARD

VietnamPlus for “Rapping the News”. This special category award is supported by CCI and honors the news publisher that most creatively engages the young through mobile telephones, tablets and other digital devices.

ENDURING EXCELLENCE - (THREE-WAY TIE FOR THE TOP AWARD)

The Star (Malaysia) for the R.AGE news and social media youth initiative that reinvented itself with an array of face-to-face initiatives.

Singapore Press Holdings (Singapore) for The Straits Times Schools Programme – a decade-old multifaceted youth engagement approach that continues to innovate.

Gazeta do Povo (Brazil) for the "Read and Think" news in education programme that continues to offer methods and solid, useful research

GOING GREEN – TOP AWARD

The Mathrubhurni Daily (India) for a "Free The Tree" campaign by youth to stop advertisements being attached to trees. This special category was supported by GreenTEC Campus of Germany and honours projects that give the young guidance and hope for improving the environment.

NEWS IN EDUCATION – TOP AWARD

Schleswig-Holsteinischer Zeitungsverlag (Germany) for a Tablet Class program that offers equipment and training to raise awareness among students of news on tablet devices.

PLAYING WITH THE NEWS – TOP AWARD

Jakarta Post [Foundation] (Indonesia) for “Youth Speak Fun Day”, a language festival of competitions, news simulations, games and entertainment to help strengthen the English skills of 15- to 17-year-olds. It is supported by Capital of Children of Denmark and honors initiatives with inventive activities that teach about the news by getting them involved in the news process

PUBLIC SERVICE - TOP AWARD

The Guardian (UK) for a highly interactive children's book website where children read, write and publish reviews, connect with other young readers and have face-to-face interview authors.

Details about the other winners can be found at http:/www.wan-ifra.org/node/116566

Learn more about WAN-IFRA’s news literacy and youth engagement work at www.wan-ifra.org/newsliteracy 

WAN-IFRA, based in Paris, France, and Frankfurt, Germany, with subsidiaries in Singapore and India, is the global organisation of the world’s newspapers and news publishers. It represents more than 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries. Its core mission is to defend and promote press freedom, quality journalism and editorial integrity and the development of prosperous businesses.

Inquiries to: Dr. Aralynn McMane, executive director for youth engagement and news literacy, WAN-IFRA, 96 bis, rue Beaubourg, 75003 Paris France. Tel: +33 1 47 42 85 00. Fax: +33 1 42 78 92 33. E-mail: worldyoungreaderprize@wan-ifra