ARCHBISHOP Thibault Media Awards (ATMA) launched on Tuesday, Aug. 27, rebranding the former Davao Catholic Mass Media Awards, after two decades.
ATMA aims to recognize the work of Davao journalists who promote the teachings of the Church, that highlight stewardship, integration of faith, and justice, human rights promotion while adhering to the ethical standards of journalism.
Archbishop Clovis Joseph Thibault PME became the first archbishop of Davao when Davao became an Archdiocese in 1949.
“Naming this award Archbishop Thibault Media Awards is so meaningful, capturing the history, the early “mind and heart” of the first Bishop of Davao, already a visionary who saw the importance of mass media,” Archbishop Romulo G. Valles said in a statement.
The proposed awards totaled 13, with 12 special awards and 1 highest award- Archbishop Clovis Thibault Special Award – the highest award given to an outstanding article that embodies the themes and contents of the Church teachings.
Meanwhile, the other 12 awards were named: Laudato Si Award, Fratelli Tutti Award, Familiaris Consortio Award, Mulieris Dignitatem Award, Populorum Progressio Award, Inter Mirifica Award, Christus Vivit, Laborem Excercens Award, Erga Migrantes Award, Evangelii Gaudium Award, Communio et Progressio Award, and Dignitas Infinita Award.
The Laudato Si Award will be given to works that promote the care for the common home which can include but are not limited to the promotion of environmental awareness and protection, and advocating social justice by analyzing the effects of environmental degradation on the marginalized sector.
Fratelli Tutti Award or the Pacem in Terris Award- on peace, justice, and liberty, will be handed to works that promote the importance of a culture of dialogue highlighting proactive actions and initiatives that contribute to the common good based on social justice.
The Familiaris Consortio Award, on the other hand, will be given to works that mirror the importance of family values aligned with the teachings of the Church and highlight positive attributes of the family such as commitment to marital vows, responsible parenthood, strong family support, and centrality of its spiritual dimension and practices.
Mulieris Dignitatem Award will be given to journalism works that uphold the dignity of women by being appreciative and their significant contributions to family, church, society, and analyzing the dehumanization of women, and featuring women empowerment.
Meanwhile, the stories that highlight the progress of people in the aspect of economics, social, cultural, and contribution to human development will be awarded the Populorum Progressio Award.
The Inter Mirifica Award is on the proper use of the media in social communications. This award is exclusive only for pieces of work of the members of the parish Social Communications team. Its themes and contents are stories/news that exhibit or promote pastoral thrusts of the Local Church.
Christus Vivit Award is exclusive to those pieces of work of campus journalists in Senior High Schools and Higher Education Institutions. Its themes and contents include youth empowerment and supporting young Christians to grow in holiness and commitment to their vocation.
Laborem Excercens Award will be given to the works advocating for the rights and welfare of workers, critical assessment of different forms of injustice affecting labor; and recognize the ethical-spiritual dimension of work and its contribution to the common good.
The Erga Migrantes Award will be awarded to pieces of work that promote the rights and concerns of migrants and itinerants such as reasons for migration, poverty, war, and conflict, among others.
Those journalism works involved in evangelization and highlighting the work of evangelizers will be given the Evangelii Gaudium Award.
The best photojournalist promoting the contents of the Church document on social communication will receive the Communio et Progressio Award.
Lastly, the Dignitas Infinita Award will be given to pieces of work that focus more on issues related to human trafficking, sexual abuse against all people, abortion, surrogacy, euthanasia, PWDs, LGBTQA, sex change, and digital violence.
The award-giving body has yet to disclose the scheduled date of the start of accepting entries, however, the awards are scheduled around May or June next year in line with World Communications Week.
