Mondi journalism awards open for entries

The competition welcomes entries in any of the 13 categories for work done in 2009 and offers a Mondi Shanduka Premier Award and R15 000 in cash. At their discretion, the judges will award the South African Story of the Year and South African Newspaper Journalist of the Year from the entries received.

All journalists and photographers in the press may enter, irrespective of whether they serve a national or community-based newspaper. Entries must consist of material originated and published in a South African daily or weekly newspaper during the period of 1 January 2009 and 1 January 2010.

Nominations are also invited for the Alan Kirkland Soga Achievement Award, a prize that honours a person's sustained and exceptional contribution to South African newspaper journalism.

Judges

Professor Guy Berger, head of journalism and media studies at Rhodes University, will be joined by Tyrone August, Martie Retief Meiring, Ebbe Dommisse, John Dludlu, Tumi Makgabo, Irwin Manoim, Liesl Louw, David Wightman, Mandla Langa, Juby Mayet, Sophie Tema, Jabulani Sikhakhane, Paula Fray and Peter Magubane.

Categories
1. Hard news
2. Analysis and commentary
3. Feature writing
4. Journalism Twenty-Ten (new category)
5. Investigative journalism
6. Creative journalism
7. Graphic journalism
8. Editorial cartoons (new category)
9. Popular journalism
10. News photographs
11. Feature photographs
12. Sports photographs
13. Presentation (layout and design)

New categories

Editorial Cartoons - previously combined with Graphical Journalism - will be assessed for graphic imagery, originality, cleverness and political or social punch. Simplicity, topicality and humour will be considered. Entrants would need to motivate why their work scores on these criteria.

Journalism Twenty-Ten - this marks the importance of the Soccer World Cup being staged in South Africa in 2010. The award is for a journalist who is able to "own" the story, through first-rate coverage of its many angles. Coverage may range from relevant matters around the games and players themselves, through to access issues, infrastructure and development, politics, environment, tourism, culture, sponsorship, money and intellectual property, amongst other aspects. The category will cover journalism during 2009 and be repeated again for work in 2010.

Entry kits will be distributed during December 2009 and are available on www.mondishanduka.co.za or www.printmedia.org.za.