The Harding Prize for Trustworthy Communication is a new award, for public communication of information that genuinely helps people decide what to do, or helps them judge a decision by others, launched in association with the Science Media Centre and Sense about Science and with a stellar judging panel of Prof Jonathan van Tam, Prof Onora O’Neill, Fraser Nelson, Helen Boaden, Helen Jamieson!

What kind of decisions?

Maybe the communication will help with a significant decision in daily life: about a medical treatment, a school, a financial product or a charity to donate to.

Maybe it will help people make a decision on behalf of others: perhaps if they’re policymakers, head teachers, or business leaders.

Maybe it will help people make a decision about what to think: on the pros and cons of a big, topical issue - like lockdown, say.

Or maybe it will help people assess the basis for a decision, such as the reasons for the prioritisation of vaccines or a tax policy.

What subjects and formats?

Those above are just examples. The range of eligible subjects, audiences and media is wide, and could include almost anything involving a significant decision.

‘Communication' might mean a news article, a Twitter thread, a website, a leaflet, a report, original research in a journal, a podcast, TV, a speech... As long as it can be taken in within ten minutes (e.g. not a book), and you can provide it to us in full for judging.

Communications must be in English but can originate from any country, worldwide.

Entries must have been placed in the public domain during the twelve months before the closing date.

The prizes

There are two prizes. The Harding Prize itself for the best entry, worth £3,141.59, and a separate Weasel Words award open to nominations, for the worst example of miscommunication, bad evidence, or untrustworthy communication trying to look like it’s being helpful.

If you've seen - or produced - something you'd like to enter, then please go to https://hardingprize.online to do so before the end of December 2021!