Zululand Observer scoops accolades at prestigious national media awards

The Zululand Observer once again stood tall among the country’s community newspapers after scooping three podium places and eight top 10 finishes at the prestigious Avbob Forum of Community Journalists (FCJ) Excellence Awards.

At a glitzy gala dinner in Stellenbosch last night (Friday), ZO editor-in-chief Ronelle Ramsamy gracefully accepted the third place award in the Best Back Page category.

This is the second consecutive year the ZO has secured bronze in this category, which was newly introduced for the 2024 awards.

Cementing its long-standing reputation of delivering award-winning content of the highest professional and ethical standards, the ZO featured as finalists in no fewer than 10 categories.

Writing category wins

Ramsamy kicked off the newspaper’s successful streak by scooping silver in the Headlines category, while ZO consultant editor Dave Savides placed second in the Hard News category.

Other top 10 finishes include Savides in the Sport Writing category; Savides and ZO rookie reporter Tracey Turner in the Hard News category; Ramsamy, Savides and ZO sub-editor Tamlyn Cramer in the Columns category.

“The accolades cement our reputation of being a regional newspaper of the highest journalism and ethical standards,” said Ramsamy.

“We continually strive to give our readers and advertisers content of the highest quality. It is noteworthy to mention that the ZO placed among over 541 entries countrywide.”

The Avbob FCJ Excellence Awards, hosted by the Forum of Community Journalists NPC (FCJ), is a well-known event in the media industry with entries exceeding 500 in this year’s competition.

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