With the future relying on the virtues of the traditional newsroom, and what award-winning journalists do, that is find things out, verify the facts and publish the best available version of the truth, these journalists and their story did exactly that!
“There were a number of media houses that wrote on the VBS scandal, but the winners of the South African Story of the Year, journalists Dewald van Rensburg and Sipho Masondo, were the ones that broke the story and stayed with it,” says convening judge, Mathatha Tsedu.
Their contribution to the coverage of the saga was also never challenged and, unlike others who came into the story later, they never had to backtrack.Unlike last year, when one major story dominated the headlines, he says, this year there was a variety of stories in the running for the title of South African Story of the Year.
“A lot of discussions took place around these during the judging period,” he states. “In general, all the categories have good entries, expect for sports photography where no award was given.”Well done on your amazing achievement tonight @vercingetorics @RensburgDewald @City_Press #SikuvileAwards https://t.co/E8VXmSaGpH
— Media24 (@media24) September 12, 2019
Rosetta Msimango was named Upcoming/Rising star of the Year and the Allan Kirkland Soga Lifetime Achiever Award was awarded to Robin Comley.
What a wonderful thing it is to have a young Black female photographer as the “Rising Star”
— Dinesh Balliah (@DineshBalliah) September 12, 2019
winner at the #SBSJA19 Congratulations to you #RosettaMsimang of @City_Press pic.twitter.com/pTLyx6vBqb
The Frewin, McCall, and Joel Mervis Awards winners were also announced at the event.
The Frewin Award, which recognises urban daily newspapers with a circulation above 40,000, went to Beeld, while Pretoria News was awarded the McCall Award, which honours urban daily newspapers with a circulation of 40,000 or less. The Joel Mervis Award recognises urban weekly newspapers irrespective of their circulation and a joint award went to City Press.
| Hard News | ||
| Winner | Title | Publication |
| Aron F Hyman | “Hyper-trauma’: Another young life lost, more desperate pleas in gangland”; “Order to kill was issued in jail cell”; “Tears as Hannah’s friend faces her ‘killers’ in court” | Times Live |
| Columns/Editorial | ||
| Carla Lewis | “Stompie moet steeds by ons spook” | Beeld |
| Enterprise News | ||
| Graeme Hosken | “Serial Horror” | Sunday Times |
| Feature Writing | ||
| Mia Malan, Laura Lopez Gonzalez, Pontsho Pilane, Joan Van Dyk | “Who killed Ntombizodwa? Politics, protest and Corruption in the North West” | Bhekisisa, Mail Guardian |
| Investigative Journalism | ||
| Sipho Masondo, Dewald Van Rensburg | “VBS” | City Press |
| Editorial Cartoons | ||
| Fred Mouton | “They just keep on gorging, but don’t want to fly”; “Earthling, take me to your leader”; “Heinz, you won’t believe it”; “Lady Justice” ; “Manny” | Die Burger |
| Graphic Journalism | ||
| Cobus Prinsloo | “Insight – die jongste besoeker op Mars”; “Is it a plane? Is it a chopper? No, it’s a sky taxi!”; “Latest visitor to Mars” | Die Burger, City Press, Netwerk24 |
| Popular Journalism | ||
| Mhie Silangwe | “Zuma’s wife Disowned” | Sunday Sun |
| News Photographs | ||
| Theodore Jeptha | “Joe Slovo Protest” | Son Newspaper |
| Feature photographs | ||
| Alon Skuy | 1%ers… a rare glimpse into an outlaw “Motorcycle Club” | Sunday Times |
| Sports Photographs | ||
| No Award | ||
| Presentation | ||
| Johnn-Grant Munro | “Koebaai, Nr 1”; ”Die bose Z is weg…” | Die Burger |
| Multiplatform Stories | ||
| Anthony Molyneaux | Hannah Cornelius - “Kidnapping, mapping the murder and the killers” | Times Live |
| Lifestyle | ||
| Retha Fick | “Legendariese roadhouse herleef” | Beeld |
Judging took place in May and the judging panel is made up of industry experts, all well-known and respected in the newspaper industry and includes Dinesh Balliah, Henry Jefreys, Mike Siluma, Tyrone August, Phil Mthimkhulu Pippa Green, Liesl Louw-Vaundrum, Mary Papayya, Ryland Fisher, Neo Ntsoma, Maud Motanyane, Lizeka Mda, Thabo Leshilo and Themba Hadebe.
Lebo Madiba 1 day
