Sierra Leone: IMC Launches 2011 National Media Award

Freetown — Chairman of the Independent Media Commission (IMC), Rod Mac-Johnson on Friday launched the 2011 National Media Awards which offer journalist the scope to improve their talents and open the knack for research to harvest credible fact and figure to increase their reporting skills. (Source: Concord Times)

The newly appointed IMC chairman also used the opportunity to urge journalists to be specialized in reporting issues like women issues, human interest stories, environment, economic, health, agriculture and financial reporting and others. He said: "One of the essences of the IMC is to encourage journalists to shake-off traits of general reporting and become specialists in the field. General reporting is no longer the norm so journalists in print and electronic need to specialize."

Mac-Johnson further encouraged journalists to use the opportunity to submit their best articles as the award is a very important effort by IMC to give journalism a human face and to remind the public that the profession is not made up of bearers of bad news.

Explaining the award scheme, a member of the awards committee member, Steven Douglas, noted that there are few changes in the categories of award this year. Amongst the changes he said are the best crime and court reporting instead of the best news story and best report on agriculture report instead of food security.

He also noted that the committee has dropped the award for development issues, the best newspaper columnist, best creative writing, best free health care news and health issues. Douglas said: "However, we decided to introduce new category like best female reporter and also because we want to recognize those in the layout room we introduced the best newspaper layout and design."

On behalf of the UNIPSIL, Peter Tayong encouraged journalists to embrace specialization in their reporting and expressed UN's eagerness to continue partnering with the IMC and make the yearly event a festival. The chairman of Guild of Editors, Kelvin Lewis encouraged journalists to challenge and compete for excellence. He also called on editors to encourage their reporters to be competing for the award yearly.