The second Discovery Health Journalism Awards, held on Thursday 6 May 2010 in Johannesburg, announced that Anna-Maria Lombard of Health-e News Service was the Health Journalist of the Year, for her stories 'Dora Nginza and Price of Denial' produced for Carte Blanche, M-NET and Third Degree, e-TV respectively. She received a prize of R75 000.
The judging panel received over 130 entries from a cross-section of media and Professor Tawana Kupe, convener of the awards and the executive dean of the Humanities Faculty at the University of the Witwatersrand, said in general the standard of entries were high.
"We received better quality entries than in the inaugural competition and viewed from this perspective, we felt overall that the quality of health journalism is improving and we encourage Discovery Health to continue its support of these awards, which can become one of the most comprehensive national awards, in recognising excellence in health journalism," added Professor Kupe. "Looking ahead, we encourage more entries from journalists on health economics, drug resistance, HIV and AIDS and vaccine trials."
Winners
Both Lombard's stories were told with powerful visuals, matched perfectly with the narrative voice. The judges said she brought a wide range of views together, from the people affected by denial and dysfunction to the doctors, administrators and civil society organisations who opposed them.
Category 1: Best Health economics journalism - Carol Paton, Financial Mail- Wrong prescription: SA's new health plan
Category 2: Best Analysis and Commentary writing - Elsabe Brits, Die Burger - Muis, man, mammoet
Category 3: Best health news reporting - Zinhle Maphumulo, Sowetan - Doctor left my mom in the theatre after cutting her open
Category 4: Best investigative reporting - no winner
Category 5: Best health and lifestyle feature - Janine Stephen, Marie Claire - The new baby boomers
Category 6: Best health consumer reporting and consumer writing - Marzanne van den Berg, Beeld - Waneer 'n kind se lag verdwyn
Category 7: Best trade publication health journalism - Mari Hudson, What's New Doc? - Thinking outside the black box
Category 8: Best radio health journalism - Thabile Maphanga, SABC Radio - Bara doctors
Category 9: Television health journalism - Anna-Maria Lombard, Health-e News Service - Dora Nginza and Price of DenialPanellists
Nicola Christofides, senior lecturer at the University of Witwatersrand at the School of Public Health; Siki Mgabadeli, broadcast journalist;
Mandy de Waal, former broadcast journalist
Dr Bavesh Kana, Senior Research Scientist at the MRC/NHLS/WITS Molecular Mycobacteriology Research UnitFor more citations, go to www.discovery.co.za.
