Initiative to End Sexual Violence in One Generation Announces Contest for Newsmakers in Partnership with Poynter Institute

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Raliance, in partnership with The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, announces the launch of the The RALLYs awards to honor the highest level of journalistic achievement in covering sexual violence. Together these national leaders recognize the importance of sexual violence reporting and the critical role journalists play in educating the public on this widespread, but preventable, issue.

The awards competition is designed to enhance public understanding of sexual violence and to promote media coverage with context and credibility. "We know sexual violence is a complex topic, and news coverage on sexual assault and rape impacts general public perceptions," Raliance co-founder Karen Baker said. "These awards are intended to celebrate journalists who have made significant contributions to enhance public understanding of how sexual violence impacts individuals, families and communities."

"We are honored to work with Raliance to elevate the powerful work of journalists on this important topic," said Poynter Vice President Kelly McBride. "These awards acknowledge the vital role of media in telling these stories in our communities and across the country."

There will be four award categories highlighting everyday journalism, digital innovation, investigative series and feature stories. Four $500 cash prizes will be awarded to the top winners in each category.

Submissions will be accepted online and judged by experts in journalism and sexual violence. The deadline for submission is March 17, 2017.

The RALLYs will be presented at the Raliance Media Summit on Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at the Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington, D.C. This one-day event will bring together journalists to advance news coverage on sexual assault. Registration is now open for this event.This contest is made possible by The Poynter Institute, a global leader in journalism, and generous sponsorship from the Glover Park Group and the National Football League.

For more information on The RALLYs Awards guidelines and eligibility, visit: www.raliance.org

ABOUT RALIANCE
Raliance serves as the central hub for effective allocation and distribution of programmatic funding in sexual violence prevention and as the go-to resource for policymakers, advocates, service providers and the media. Raliance is funded through a $10 million multiyear commitment from the National Football League. The name was inspired by the entity's intent to rally engagement from stakeholders and align goals and resources behind its overarching mission of putting a stop to sexual violence once and for all. Learn more at Raliance.org.

ABOUT THE POYNTER INSTITUTE
The Poynter Institute for Media Studies is a global leader in journalism education and a strategy center that stands for uncompromising excellence in journalism, media and 21st century public discourse. Poynter faculty teach seminars and workshops at the Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla., and at conferences and organizational sites around the world. Its e-learning division, News University, www.newsu.org, offers the world's largest online journalism curriculum in 7 languages, with more than 400 interactive courses and 330,000 registered users in more than 200 countries. The Institute's website, www.poynter.org, produces 24-hour coverage of news about media, ethics, technology, the business of news and the trends that currently define and redefine journalism news reporting. The world's top journalists and media innovators come to Poynter to learn and teach new generations of reporters, storytellers, media inventors, designers, visual journalists, documentarians and broadcast producers, and to build public awareness about journalism, media, the First Amendment and protected discourse that serves democracy and the public good.