The BOBs award ceremony

Developed in 2004, "The BOBs - Deutsche Welle Blog Award” is now the world’s largest international competition for blogs, podcasts, videoblogs and social networks. The online community around the world has submitted their favorite blogs in 11 languages and six multilingual categories. Visit www.thebobs.com for all the details.
Deutsche Welle puts the spotlight on human rights this year and has looked for blogs and videos that promote – among other rights – freedom of expression and the rights to education and health. For the first time, the contest also handed out an award for Best Social Activism Campaign. The international press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders once again takes part in the international blog awards.

This year, contest organizers were also looking for an initiative that uses social networks and other forms of digital communication in an exemplary fashion to help benefit democracy, freedom and human rights.

Other categories included: “Best Blog”, “Best Video Channel”, “Best Use of Technology for Social Good”, “Reporters Without Borders” and “Special Topic Award Human Rights”. The competition languages were: Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, English, French, German, Indonesian, Persian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
With this competition, Deutsche Welle fosters the freedom of the press and freedom of opinion. At the same time, the prize helps to illustrate the diversity of the international blogosphere.

The winners chosen by the jury for each of the six categories will be awarded their prizes at the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum on June 20 in Bonn.