May 29, 2017

MMA Declares Winner for 2016 Child-centred Journalism Awards

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Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) is proud to announce South African based journalist, Louise Ferreira, as the winner of the organisation’s Isu Elihle Awards launched in November last year.

Translated from IsiZulu to mean “Great Idea”, the awards seek to encourage fresh reporting, innovative approaches and insightful investigations that seek to give children a voice and elevate the status of the child in Eastern and Southern Africa.

Ferreira receives a cash prize of ZAR 25 000 for her in-depth journalism which explores the quality of sex education in South African schools. The story which was published by Mail & Guardian in April was ranked first by a panel of judges including child media monitors, representative partners and media practitioners.

One of the judges Phemelo Motene of Talk Radio 702 commended Ferreira’s reporting: “It was wonderful how she addressed the mammoth task of education and sexuality in a manner that could be consumed lightly which I think is very innovative.”

Tanzania’s Abdallah Bakari-Nassoro, lands the second prize ofZAR 15 000 for his story published by the local Guardian which highlighted child domestic and sex work in the country. MMA awards the final prize of ZAR 10 000  to Judith Atim from Uganda, whose three-part radio series broadcast by Daily Monitor, exposed the abuse of children in the country’s prisons.

MMA has partnered with Save the Children International and Media Network on Child Rights and Development in Zambia for the awards. The top three finalists are offered financial support and mentorship to develop their concepts and publish their stories in mainstream news media.

Director at MMA William Bird says, “We congratulate all three finalists on their hard work and encourage other journalists and newsrooms to participate in this initiative.”

The applications for this year’s awards have been opened as part of National Child Protection Week. All journalists and writers from Eastern and Southern Africa are again encouraged to enter the competition before the deadline on 30 June 2017.

For more details, terms and conditions as well as the application form visit the Isu Eihle Award’s website www.isuelihle.org

For enquiries please contact:

William Bird

williamb@mma.org.za

Or

Ayabulela Poro

ayabulelap@mma.org.za

Tel: +27 (0) 11 788 1278

Isu Elhile Awards

Rewarding innovative stories about chidren