Zululand Observer hits the headlines

The Zululand Observer was called up to centre stage no fewer than five times at the glittering Avbob Forum of Community Journalists (FCJ) Excellence Awards in Cape Town on Friday.

Of 527 entries from leading community newspapers throughout the country, the ZO was named a finalist in 9 categories, which in itself is a tremendous feat.

The much-coveted Best Editorial Comment award, considered an indication of how a newspaper should be in touch with its community, came back to the ZO for a consecutive year.

Consultant editor Dave Savides walked away as winner in this category, while editor-in-chief Ronelle Ramsamy bagged third place.

Savides went on to take second place in the Hard News and coveted Journalist of the Year categories.

The Zululand Observer further scooped 2nd place in the Best Front Page category.

This award reinforced the ZO’s status as an award-winning publication offering quality content coupled with highly impactful and visually appealing layout.

The ZO and Eyethu Baywatch were also finalists in the respective Newspaper of the Year categories.

Savides was named a finalist in the Sport and Best Headlines categories.

Strong winning tradition

“While newsrooms at present are multimedia focused, basic journalism still stands as the foundation for success,” said Savides.

“I and my successor, Ronelle, both seasoned journalists who lead from the front, will hopefully inspire our journalists to attain skills that will not only win competitions but also enhance the quality of the coverage given to our readers.

This is a strong winning tradition and we dedicate these successes to the founder of the ZO, Reg Anthony. We don’t just want to win, we want to produce winning journalists,” said Savides.

Ecstatic with the newspaper’s achievement, Ramsamy said the ‘ZO is highly acclaimed and respected within the media industry in South Africa’.

“Our readers and clients can rest assured that the ZO is a quality product recognised nationally, and is a reflection of the excellence that is found in many spheres of our region,” she said. The panel of judges adjudicating the awards consisted of seasoned veterans of the community newspaper industry and some of the best academics in the field of journalism.

“With so many entries, the judges faced a difficult task to select the winners,” said convenor of judges André Gouws.

The overall quality was impressive and to be a finalist is a big achievement as winners in this competition are truly the best of the best,” he said.

In his address, Avbob CEO, Carl van der Riet, said “As a business, we are deeply rooted in, and connected to the communities in which we operate. This is reflected in our support for community journalism.

“We applaud the work you do to keep our communities informed and empowered with information. According to the United Nations, without freedom of the press, there can be no “real democratic societies”. Your work is an essential contribution to the building of a transparent and free society.”

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