Judges hard at work
The FCJ Excellence Awards is aimed at encouraging excellence and rewarding meritorious work in local and community print media.
“It is the only competition in the country where journalists and publications can measure their work against their peers from all media outlets in South Africa, big and small, corporately owned or independent,” says Hugo Redelinghuys, Executive Director of the Forum of Community Journalists (FCJ).
The FCJ Excellence Awards – now in its 26th year – is open to any permanent editorial staff member working for a local or community print newspaper in South Africa and this year received a record number of entries since 2016 when the FCJ started to present the competition on its own.
“This year we decided to let members enter digitally, and we are sure that this is one reason for the record number of entries. A total of 123 journalists and editors sent in a total of 224 entries in die writing categories; 97 entries in the photographic categories; with 58 entries for Front page of the Year and 42 entries for Newspaper of the Year,” says Redelinghuys.
This year the FCJ also decided to enlarge the judging panel for the different categories to be judged by true specialists in their field.
The panel of judges are:
Writing categories:
Andre Gouws (NWU), Hanlie Gouws (Vryeweekblad), Willem Kempen (Vryeweekblad), Johan Maarman (Die Burger), Dr Lizette Odendaal (Tswane University of Technology) with five other judges from the TUT team, Dr Cornia Pretorius (NWU), Dr Thalytha Swanepoel (NWU), Christopher Motabogi (NWU), Hennie Stander (former editor: Potch Herald) and Colin Hoffman (former Rapport/Die Burger).
Best Front Pages/Best Newpapers
Dr George Claassen, Dr Johann de Jager and Joe Thloloe.
Photography
Felix Dlangamandla (Daily Maverick), Alet Pretorius (Gallo Images and lecturer) and Phil Magakwe (Agence France Presse).
“The judges are currently hard at work selecting the very best journalists, photographers and newspapers in the country. The winners can truly call themselves the best of the best,” Redelinghuys says.
The FCJ will also this year for the first time in its history, hold its AGM virtually. “Our AGM is scheduled for 5 November and all members and role players have received an invitation to attend the AGM,” says Redelinghuys.
In another first for the FCJ, the prestigious Excellence Awards ceremony will also be presented online this year. More information on this will follow soon.
For enquiries about the FCJ or the Excellence Awards 2019, send an email to myfcjinfo@gmail.com or call Hugo Redelinghuys on 082 440 6331.
