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THE SPIRIT OF DANIEL PEARL YOUTH WRITING CONTEST
Recognizing Teens Who Honor Reporter's Legacy
The Daniel Pearl Foundation created the Spirit of Daniel Pearl Youth Writing Contest to engage youth across the country and promote a greater understanding across cultural divides. Through an online partnership with teen-activism website YouthNoise, entrants were asked to write an essay that answered the question, "How has Danny's story or some personal experience with intolerance or cultural hatred affected you? What should be done to promote respect and acceptance?" Out of more than 500 responses, four teenage winners were selected.
Reporters typically do not want to cover a contest, and because the foundation strives to associate the name "Daniel Pearl" with tolerance and acceptance rather than tragedy, Solomon McCown was tasked with publicizing the winners and making sure that the media focused on the contest, its messages and the winners, rather than on Danny's death. The SM& team targeted news and education reporters in each of the winner's hometowns, tailoring news releases for each market by highlighting the local winner and his or her essay. We organized an uplifting event at Boston's Old South Meeting House, where the Grand Prize Winner, 17-year-old Julia Carney, spoke of her admiration for Danny and read her essay about attending a school that encourages acceptance, volunteering in a women's homeless shelter, and urging respect for others.
The Spirit of Daniel Pearl Youth Writing Contest received extensive media coverage, such as The Boston Globe, Boston Herald, regional and community newspapers in the winners' hometowns, and local television and radio - WBUR aired Julia's reading of her essay on the morning of the Old South Meeting House event. The campaign was an overwhelming success, generating extensive visibility for the contest, its winners and the mission of the Daniel Pearl Foundation: to promote hope for the future and cross-cultural understanding through journalism, music, and innovative communications.
