Students Invited to Become Bridgestone E-Reporters

Once again Bridgestone is offering students throughout Europe the opportunity to have their budding journalistic talents noticed. The 2008 Bridgestone e-reporter competition is open to all full-time students in Europe who are aged between 18 and 30, and submissions are being sought by those who wish to, in the tyre major’s own words, “help launch their reporting career.”

Entry into the competition is as simple as penning a 300 word article (and interview questions) on a newsworthy story, and completed pieces can be submitted online at www.bridgestone.eu/e-reporter. A panel of highly respected media personalities and international journalists will critique the respective merits of each received entry, and eight finalists will be selected. Each will attend a European Formula One Grand Prix weekend, where their skills will be honed as they report upon the Bridgestone backed GP2 Series. All eight finalists will also be invited to the first European Grand Prix of the 2008 season, in Barcelona (25 – 27 April), to launch and celebrate the Bridgestone e-reporter competition’s fifth year.

The overall winner of the 2008 contest will be selected on the basis of their ability to represent the Bridgestone brand and produce written race reports, and the successful finalist will continue his or her reportage of Bridgestone supported championships by covering the final MotoGP round in Valencia (26 October) as part of the competition prize. The winner will also be awarded a laptop, work experience at a European motorsport magazine and represent Bridgestone at a safety event.

Previous Bridgestone e-reporters continue to be successful in securing jobs within the media, a direct result, believes Bridgestone, of their involvement in the competition. Members of the growing e-reporter network now write for various European websites and publications either regularly or as freelance contributors, however it must be said that none have yet to reach the lofty heights of a tyre industry publication. During the past five years, finalists have come from all over Europe including France, Germany, Italy, Finland, Malta, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Poland and the UK. All 33 finalists from past competitions will be invited to attend a Bridgestone e-reporter reunion at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza to showcase Bridgestone’s investment in the community and future of young journalists.

Commenting on the launch of the 2008 competition, Gerry Duffy, vice president of Sales & Marketing, Bridgestone Europe, said, “we are very proud of the Bridgestone e-reporter competition and what it has achieved in recent years. It shows Bridgestone’s investment in education and the future of students who have aspirations to work as journalists within a very competitive sporting environment. Bridgestone is celebrating five years of the competition in 2008 and look forward to bringing together a community of successful e-reporters at the Italian Grand Prix in September. This year we wish to see many more entries from students across Europe as universities recognise this as the ultimate opportunity for young writers to showcase their journalistic talent.”