It is named in honour of the late distinguished editor of The Observer newspaper in London for 27 years, from 1948 to 1975, who was a lifelong champion of African development, human rights and other social justice causes.
Established in 2006, the Trust runs an innovative programme for African journalists focusing on professional development and long-term career support. The programme currently operates in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
We search for and invest in exceptionally promising early-career print journalists working in English with the greatest potential and commitment to excel in the profession.
We also aim to build and sustain a regional peer-support network of these next-generation media leaders to promote good governance, defend human rights, and further socio-political development.
THE AWARDS:
The David Astor Journalism Awards are not conventional awards in the sense of recognising some significant achievement. They represent instead a long-term commitment by the Trust to invest in and support the career development of exceptionally promising young journalists with the greatest potential to excel in the future.
Presently, the Trust is focused on Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. We make three awards each year within the region.
Choosing the candidates is a highly selective process. First, a wide-ranging group of local nominators in each country identifies potentially suitable candidates for consideration. A rigorous, multi-stage staff review, assessment and short-listing process follows. Finally, an independent panel of judges interviews the finalists and selects three winners.
The award winners initially take part in a three-month professional development programme tailored to their particular interests and needs. These usually involve work experience attachments with newspapers in the UK or South Africa. They then receive continuing professional support as career-long members of the David Astor Award Winners’ Network.
Each award winner also receives a nominal cash award of $500 (the runners-up receive $250).
CRITERIA:
Candidates are assessed primarily on the basis of these five key criteria:
- Professional Commitment. Are they passionate about practicing journalism as a professional ‘calling’, not just as an income-producing job? Do they have clear long-term aspirations within the profession and the determination to achieve their aims?
- Local Commitment. Do they have strong ties to their local community and highly value the contribution they can make by working locally as a journalist? Do their career goals include continuing to practice journalism in their own country or elsewhere in Africa?
- Talent. Do they display some special talent, aptitude and flair for journalism – distinct from the abilities and skills they may have acquired through formal education and training – and do they have high potential to excel in the profession?
- Ethical Standards. Do they have unquestionable integrity and adhere to the highest ethical principles in both their professional and personal lives?
- Personal Qualities. Do they have a sufficiently strong, resilient character to withstand the rigours of the profession and thrive? Are they highly motivated, ambitious and driven? Are they confident, independent-minded, courageous, resourceful and persistent?
AWARD PROGRAMMES:
Each award winner takes part in a work experience programme, individually tailored to his or her particular professional development needs and interests, lasting three months.
The award programmes are designed in consultation with the winner and their employer, but they all involve working with journalists from outside the award winner’s own country, usually in newsrooms in the UK and South Africa.
The general aim of these programmes is to expose the award winners to different news reporting environments and some of the special know-how, expertise and working practices of other, more seasoned journalists.
They offer opportunities for the award winners to enhance their capabilities in ways that would not ordinarily be available to them, to broaden their professional outlook, and to develop useful new contacts.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
For queries: jim.meyer@dajat.org
Website: http://www.dajat.org/
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