There can be no doubt of the vital role a free press has in a democratic society. The impact of journalism in its myriad forms on the South African collective consciousness cannot be overestimated. Joseph Pulitzer once said of the profession: “Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it and, above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light.” The many journalists recognised by the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards are no doubt those who provide the guiding light to our society.
Vodacom believes it is important to recognise the achievements of these reporters, who strive tirelessly across a multitude of disciplines to ensure that our society remains informed and progressive. By acknowledging the critical role the media plays in our fledgling democracy, Vodacom, through the Journalist of the Year Awards, hopes to reward those reporters who have genuinely made a difference.
From humble beginnings in 2001, these awards have grown to be the highlight for members of the media profession across the entire spectrum of media disciplines and channels. From old-school print journalists to on-camera TV presenters, and from online columnists to social media bloggers, Vodacom believes in rewarding these quiet champions of the truth. Moreover, for close to a decade now these awards have been the launching pad for some of the most promising young talent in the country, boosting their careers and encouraging them to further hone their craft.
Vodacom and the journalists attending these awards have one major thing in common: both are focused on connecting the nation by providing access to information. And just as journalists evolve towards utilising new forms of technology to deliver their message, so Vodacom, too, remains at the cutting edge of ICT technology.
Judges for this year’s competition will once again be distinguished and highly respected leaders in their respective fields, who possess both the practical and theoretical expertise necessary to decide on the best candidates for the awards. Submission, adjudication and archiving of entries to the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards are carried out by employing leading technological elements. Furthermore, as a company that is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and delivering a cohesive Green message, Vodacom is this year encouraging journalists to enter online, instead of printing their entries. and having them couriered.
Important Dates
Entries Open: 1 August
Entries Close: 26 August
Regional awards
Bloemfontein: 29 September
Cape Town: 30 September
Port Elizabeth: 3 October
Durban: 6 October
Johannesburg: 7 October
National awards
Johannesburg 4 November
Entry Process
All entrants are to register their personal details and the details of their entry piece/s online. Entry pieces may then be submitted to Vodacom in one of three ways:
* Uploaded onto the awards website. See guidelines for this below
* Dropped off at one of the five Vodacom regional offices as specified on the website. Note that it is still necessary to complete the registration on the website
* Collection can be arranged by Media Express if you choose this option on the website.
Online submission requirements
For all submissions that are done online, it is compulsory that proof including date of publication, be provided.
All entries submitted online must adhere to specified technical specification as listed here:
The maximum upload size of a file is 20MB.
o Radio: A copy of the script must be uploaded with the broadcast in .wav, .mp3 or .ai format
o Print: A copy of the article must be uploaded in .doc or .pdf format. Note that the judges need to see proof of publication so if the article is being uploaded in a Word format they will need to see the scanned in copy of the article
o Television: A copy of the broadcast must be uploaded in .flv .mpg, or .mp4 format
o Photography: Photograph/s should be submitted in .pdf, .jpg or jpeg. When providing proof of publication of the photographs, it is preferable to include a copy of the published page where the relevance of the photo to a story or headline may be applicable to the judging of that piece. Entries may be in black & white or in colour.
o Online Journalism: A copy of the article must be submitted with a .pdf copy of the published article and the correct website and link to the article.
Hard copy submission requirements
Journalists wishing to drop off hard copies of submissions or make use of the free courier service from Media Express, in conjunction with Internet Express its online courier partner, are to take note of the following:
* Each entry must first be registered online, in order to obtain a unique reference and tracking number as well as a label for the hard copy entry.
* This label must be printed and attached to each corresponding copy.
* It is compulsory that proof, including date of publication, be provided:
o Radio: Two separate copies in DVD/CD format and two copies of the script per entry must be submitted.
o Print: Two copies of the article must be submitted. If you feel the copy can be better read in A3 format, please submit as A3.
o Television: Two PAL VHS format or DVD's must be submitted and each entry must be on a separate tape or DVD.
o Photography: Two 8" x 10" prints of the original photograph/s should be submitted. When providing proof of publication of the photographs, it is preferable to include a copy of the published page where the relevance of the photo to a story or headline may be applicable to the judging of that piece. Entries may be in black and white or in colour.
o Online Journalism: Two copies of the online version of the article are to be provided on CD as well as two colour copies of A4 print out of the article, or relevant home page. Proof of first on-line publication must be provided by submission of the correct website and link.
Validity and Entry Deadline
* All material must have been published or broadcast between 1 May 2010 and 30 April 2011.
* Entries close at 6pm on 26 August 2011.
* Please note that any entry not fulfilling the criteria as stated herein may be disqualified.
* All journalists and editors wishing to submit entries must register on the Vodacom Journalist of the Year website before submitting their entry.
Submission of entries can be done in one of three ways:
o Electronically online
o By physically dropping off hard copies at one of the five Vodacom regional offices (click here for specific locations)
o By free courier service through Media Express, in conjunction with Internet Express, its online courier partner.
* Proof of publication or broadcast date must be supplied.
* Entrants are to submit background information and a motivation to the judges as to why they believe the submitted material deserves to win - this is essential for all entries. For example, a description of circumstances affecting the story's development, including challenges such as time and/or financial constraints.
* In connection to 'Feature' submissions, a body of work may be submitted as one entry, although it should cover only one subject.
* It is the journalist's responsibility to ensure entries are legible, audible and/or viewable.
* A maximum of three entries per category will be accepted from one individual. Applications containing more than three submissions will be disqualified.
* An entry can only be submitted for one category, i.e. a specific piece can be submitted for either feature or general news but not both.
* The judges reserve the right to move any submission to another category should it be deemed necessary.
* Multiple contributors to one entry may be submitted only if the name of each contributing journalist appears on the by-line of the said entered piece. In the case of multiple contributors, the name of each of the contributors must accompany the submission in the credits section of the registration process. Please include contact details of all contributors. Multiple contributors to a winning entry will equally share the prize, be it at regional or national level.
* Submissions must be entered in the Vodacom region where published or broadcast. A piece which is published or broadcast nationally can be entered in the region closest to the journalist's offices.
* An entry can only be submitted for one region (View regional map), i.e.: a piece cannot be submitted for Gauteng and the Western Cape.
* Every entry in each category, except for Social Media in Journalism which is a national awards only, is eligible for the Regional Awards, provided they meet all requirements within this list of criteria.
* Regional Award winners will automatically be entered into the National Awards.
* Both Regional and National nominations for the Editor’s Choice Award are restricted to winning only one overall prize. A nomination into the Editors' Choice Award will not count as an entry into any other category of the awards.
* The winner of the national Editor’s Choice Award may be required to give feedback on his experiences abroad.
* Submissions must relate to work produced as well as published/broadcast in South Africa.
* There is no fee to enter the awards.
* The Secretariat cannot undertake the return of submissions, as they are archived for educational and reference purposes
* The Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards secretariat do not accept responsibility for any entries lost or damaged in transit
* The organising committee may, at its sole discretion, decide to use any entry or entries in the public domain (broadcasting, for example), for the purpose of promoting the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards. Entrants agree to the use of their entries – or any part of them – for this purpose and waive any claim they may have to remuneration.
* The judges' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
Contact Information:
For submissions: submit online here
Website: http://journalist.vodacom.co.za
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