Chief executive of Liberty’s Group Arrangements customer facing unit, Sandile Hlophe said that the media are “a significant contributor to shaping our economy and society through their messages and population reach. Their messages and reach can shape ideas that can propel our country and continent towards prosperity.”
“While we recognise the media’s role in reporting news objectively – good or bad – we believe that there is an opportunity to provide a platform that recognises the journalism profession, whose impact on the economy and society is profound. Achievement is often anonymous, some of the greatest things have been done by people we have never heard of; people who quietly dedicate their lives to improving the lives of others. That is the impact of the journalism profession; the impact which can help us as a nation to make important decisions from an informed perspective,” according to Hlophe.
Hlophe added that “we are pleased to announce the launch of the Liberty Journalism Awards, in recognition of excellence in the journalism profession. We understand and acknowledge the important role the media plays in the development of our society. We also recognise that there are many talented journalists in the country, whose work hardly gets recognised within the existing offerings.” Hlophe emphasised that “the time has come for us to broaden the base of celebrating and recognising excellence in journalism. The stature of the publication one writes for should not influence the outcome of the awards – instead, quality and unbiased journalism should be the yardstick. This is precisely what we aim to achieve with the Liberty Journalism Awards. Any professional journalist stands an equal chance of winning irrespective of the platform or media house they represent.”
Created in order to recognise and commend exceptional contributions made by journalists working in print, digital and television platforms, the awards will focus on business and financial reporting and analysis.
Divisional director of marketing and communication at Liberty Corporate, Tshepo Matseba said: “The awards criteria is rigorous and considers a wide range of factors including the demonstration of research capability, writing or presenting style, commitment to media law and ethics, and most importantly the impact that the reporting and analysis has had on the public. The overall award is the Liberty Media Excellence Award, in recognition of the importance of journalism in shaping the values of society and our nation at large.”
The judging panel includes renowned journalists and academics: Mpumelelo Mkhabela, Phakamisa Ndzamela, David O’Sullivan, Ryan Hancocks, Lizeka Mda and Kim Cloete.
Nominations open on 8 November 2016 and will close on 31 January 2017. Entries must be submitted online at www.liberty.co.za. Nominations are peer-to-peer and each person can only be nominated for a maximum of two categories. The winners will be announced at an event to be held in April 2017.
