Avusa Media wins international Young Reader Prize

The campaign, that involved producing educational literature for a broad spectrum of students nationwide who had been adversely affected by a national teachers' strike, won the public service category award of the World Association of Newspapers' (WAN) World Young Reader Prize.

"I am delighted that this international award recognises our efforts to support high-quality learning. I wish to congratulate and thank all those newspapers involved in responding to our call to support our young learners," comments Naledi Pandor, the Minister of Education.

When South African trade unions launched one of the biggest national strikes of the post apartheid era in June 2007, it was decided the newspaper groups could play a pivotal role in lessening the effects of the strike through various initiatives run together with government and the private sector. While there was widespread disruption of public services, the effect on education was profound as the strike took place during school term and many schools were forced to close due to either a lack of staff or intimidation.

To assist with the crisis, the various partners decided to distribute revision material of the work missed during the strike to as wide an audience as possible. Government sponsorship needed to be secured and all media houses came to the party and basically reduced rates to cost to ensure that the products could be bought in bulk and distributed to a much larger reach of student who came from the lowest economic strata. As the project was time critical, development of suitable content for the first edition needed to be completed within 96 hours.

“The Learning Channel, which is majority-owned by Avusa Media, was co-opted to produce material suitable for the project. We have a proven track record of content generation for similar newspaper-oriented projects so it was a perfect match,” said Susan Russell, GM marketing: Avusa Media.

The Learning Channel produced the "Study Mate" supplements, which were funded by the Department of Education. As the project was aimed at the full spectrum of learners from Grade 1-12, Avusa Education's commitment involved the production and distribution of "Study Mate" for Grade 1-11 and "Power Your Future" for Grade 12. Avusa were heavily involved in the distribution of the supplements via the Sowetan, Daily Dispatch and EP Herald.

The supplements contained revision material, advice on careers and role models. It also included advice on Education, Maths, Sciences and Life Orientation and previous sets of examinations and answers. To promote the initiative, a combination of mail shots to school principals and parents combined with street posters, flyers, promotions on TV and radio and newspaper editorials were used.

“This intervention was one of the first combined initiatives in the history of the diverse newspaper groups. It was spurred by a collective understanding that the education crisis sparked by the strike would have a far-reaching and potentially devastating impact on affected learners. To make a difference was reward enough, so being one of the winners internationally recognised for this very important initiative is more than we could have asked for,” said Russell.

Due to such an overwhelming response to the campaign, and specifically to "Study Mate," by the Department of Education, the pupils and teachers, the material is now a permanent supplement in newspapers during 2008, thus revolutionising the entire textbook concept.

“What a project! It leaped over the hoops and cut red tape! It tackled a national problem with love and was also financially beneficial to those that conducted it. It was a win-win situation for everyone,” commented the judges.

The Paris-based WAN, a global organisation for the newspaper industry, defends and promotes press freedom and the professional and business interests of newspapers world-wide. The World Young Reader Prizes are awarded annually to innovative newspapers that have devised, in the judges opinion, the best project or activity in the past 24 months in one or more of the main areas of young readership development.

Issued by: Alison van den Heever

Ogilvy PR, Cape Town

Contact: 021 4671346 or 082 760 9691

On behalf of: Sunday Times

Contact: Susan Russell (GM Marketing: Avusa Media Ltd)

011 280 5186