City Times takes top honour at FCJ Excellence Awards
Some 100 guests and finalists attended the prestigious awards at a function at the Leriba Hotel and Spa in Pretoria, where the top achievers in local and community newspapers in South Africa were honoured.
The City Times was named the winner in the Corporate-owned Free Newspapers (more than 24 pages) category at the Forum of Community Journalists (FCJ) Excellence Awards 2018 on July 19.
Journalists and editors who competed this year are from Media 24, Caxton Local Media and independent newspapers (Cape Community Newspapers and members of the Association of Independent Publishers).
Caxton Local Media publications dominated the Corporate-owned Free Newspapers categories (less than 24 pages and more than 24 pages), with the City Times winning the more than 24 pages category, Bedfordview Edenvale News placing second and Randburg Sun third.
Germiston City News, Joburg East Express, Krugersdorp News, Northcliff and Melville Times (winner, less than 24 pages) and Roodepoort Northsider were also finalists, along with the Bloemnuus.
Editor of the City Times Lana O’Neill was a finalist in the Best Column editorial writing category for her bi-weekly My Cuppa Tea column.
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“Both nominations were an honour and then to take the top prize in our newspaper category!” O’Neill commented.
“Producing a quality newspaper is nothing short of a team effort, so thanks goes to the Caxton management team and my editorial and advertising teams for their hard work, dedication and love of Benoni which shines through in our newspaper and other products.”
Also doing Caxton Local Media proud were Sibonelo Mtshali of the Southern Courier (winner, Digital Reporting), Kgotsofalang Mashilo of the Germiston City News (finalist, Human Interest) and the African Reporter (finalist, Corporate-owned Paid Newspapers).
The judges were Joe Thloloe (retired executive director of the Press Council of SA), Dr Thalyta Swanepoel (senior lecturer and convenor of Journalism Subject Group, North-West University), Virginia Keppler (former Pretoria bureau chief of The Citizen), André Gouws (lecturer, School of Communication Studies, North-West University), Cornia Pretorius (journalism lecturer, North-West University), Roger Sedres (chairperson of the panel for photography and internationally acclaimed photographer), Sharief Jaffer (panel of judges for photography and former award-winning chief photographer at Rapport Cape Town) and Leon Muller (panel of judges for photography and former award-winning chief photographer of the Cape Argus).
The FCJ Excellence Awards 2018 were sponsored by Caxton and Media 24, as well as Sappi, MHI Attorneys and the North-West University Potchefstroom campus, and prize money of nearly R100 000 went to the winners.
