Students can now experience first-hand what it is like to be a journalist in a modern newsroom.
They will attend a press conference, produce content for online and social media, or write a news story - all while trying to beat a deadline.
The National Youth Media Competition, organised by The Straits Times, is returning this year. It is presented by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG).
The competition aims to promote media literacy and train aspiring journalists. It is open to Secondary 1 to Sec 5 students from Ministry of Education secondary schools, or the secondary section of a full school under MOE.
Ms Serene Luo, editor of The Straits Times Schools, which is in charge of the event, said: "We're very excited to bring this competition back, together with our new partner. Besides finding the best young journalists in the nation, we also want students to learn more about ethics, fairness, being resourceful, and sieving out real stories from false ones - skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives."
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How to submit entries
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Entries must contain the following information:
1. Name of publication/video/radio/podcast
2. Type of medium used
3. Editorial objectives
4. Frequency of publication/broadcast/podcast
5. Name of school
6. Name of a student editor/team leader
7. Student editor/team leader's contact number and e-mail address
8. Names of other team members
9. Name of teacher-in-charge
10. Teacher's contact number and e-mail address
Schools can mail their entries marked "National Youth Media Competition" to:
ST Schools, The Straits Times, 1000, Toa Payoh North,
News Centre, Singapore 318994
Alternatively, e-mail links to the files to: stnymc@sph.com.sg. Online submissions must be received as online links or on a shared drive in common formats such as .mp3, .avi, .mpeg4 or .mov.
All entries must reach the organisers by June 30. Schools with queries can direct them to stnymc@sph.com.sg
Students will compete in teams of six. Those that make it through to the finals will face a 24-hour challenge, during which they must complete mystery assignments announced on the day of the competition, and meet a deadline.
Some of the assignments will be related to the issue of problem gambling. An NCPG secretariat spokesman said: "We hope the National Youth Media Competition will help youth gain a better understanding about the issue of problem gambling. The participants will also learn about its impact on affected individuals and their families through their own research.
"We are confident that with The Straits Times' facilitation and coaching, the shortlisted teams will create powerful content on the topic, so that more young people can learn about the potential harm of gambling."
During the contest, participants will be able to conduct interviews, take photos and videos, post breaking news updates, and design the layout for a print story they will write, among other things.
The competition began in 2005, and was known as the National Schools Newspaper Competition, where teams each produced a four-page print publication. It underwent a revamp in 2013 to include multimedia components and became the National Youth Media Competition.
This year's winning team will receive a job-shadowing stint with the ST Schools team - which produces weekly publications IN for secondary schools and Little Red Dot for primary schools - as well as $3,000 worth of prizes. The first runner-up team will receive $2,000 in prizes and the second runner-up will receive $1,000 in prizes.
Schools interested in participating have to form teams of six students each, with each team submitting an entry.
The entry can be a school publication, online newsletter, radio broadcast, podcast or video. Each school can send multiple teams but each team's submission must be different. The closing date is June 30.
The organisers will then shortlist the finalist teams for the 24-hour challenge. Shortlisted teams will receive training around August. The final showdown will take place on Sept 4 and Sept 5.
