Entries open for 2021 the Responsible Drinking Media Awards

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The Responsible Drinking Media Awards (RDMAs) recognise journalists and media at large for their efforts to positively influence perceptions and habits related to the irresponsible use of alcohol. Journalists and media have been invited to submit their work before 31 October 2021.

With the 2020 RDMAs having been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, 2021 will mark a decade that the awards have been running. With all the focus on the role of alcohol in society over the past year, Diageo South Africa, announced the return for its Responsible Drinking Media Awards (RDMAs) in 2021 to recognise extensive media reporting on the matter.

If you have published or broadcast content that shows an effort to:

• report and drive conversations about the risks of alcohol misuse,
  
• promote measures to encourage responsible drinking OR
  
• talks to the socio-economic value of beverage alcohol

“With the lockdown, we have seen an unprecedented focus on the need to scale up interventions against alcohol misuse. The period has also highlighted the critical economic value add of the alcohol value chain from manufacturing, packaging up to retail. There is also a greater recognition of the alcohol contribution to tourism, restaurants and taverns that are an integral part of the township economy,” said Sibani Mngadi, corporate relations director of Diageo SA.

The RDMAs have become an entrenched part of the Diageo calendar with the number of entries increasing year on year. The awards are open to all South African media who have generated content that relates to responsible drinking and that talks to the impact of alcohol abuse, including issues such as drinking and driving, alcohol restrictions and policy around the use and sale of alcohol as well as the economic role of the sector.

Any material that relates to the above-mentioned topics and published between 1 February 2020 and 30 September 2021, on any media platform is eligible to enter the 2021 awards.

The 2021 awards are categorised and split across Best Magazine, Best Newspaper, Best Online Publication or Post, Best Radio, Best TV and Best Up and Coming for journalism students, with the main overarching award for Journalist of the Year. The winner of each category will walk away with R20,000. Journalist of the Year winner will be selected amongst the winners in the other categories and will walk away with a total prize money of R50,000.

For more, go to www.diageo.co.za/en/rdma/.