FCJ announces new sponsor for annual community media awards
Community journalists are watchdogs for, and the voices of the various communities they serve across South Africa.
These journalists are embedded in their communities as they serve hyper local, relevant content. Often the community media exposes that which has been neglected by mainstream media. Support for community media thus remains a crucial part of ensuring a strong fourth estate.
Hence, the Forum of Community Journalists (FCJ) NPC is excited to announce that it has partnered with AVBOB Mutual Society as the main sponsor of the FCJ’s Annual Excellence Awards for the next three years (2022-2025).
Marietta Lombard, the FCJ’s Executive Director says that the generous sponsorship from AVBOB will go a long way in supporting and acknowledging the important role of community journalists in society. “The FCJ commends AVBOB for joining hands with us. We would also like to thank our fellow director and founding member of the community awards, Hugo Redelinghuys, who was involved in the initial discussions with AVBOB on this new journey,” says Lombard. “It is only with support such as that of AVBOB, that we can continue building a free, reliable and credible press for future generations,” Lombard says.
The sponsorship and agreement come after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic during which the FCJ’s annual awards had to be scaled down and postponed for large in-person gatherings.
A study by the Wits Journalism Department published in 2020 – during the height of COVID-19 – shows that although there is an increase in community media in South Africa, funding and resource constraints still pose a significant challenge to the sector as a source of news information for marginalised communities.
“Building sustainable relationships with communities are important to us. Above all, the Group is committed to investing in collaborative stakeholder relationships with both traditional and new media to support the important role of journalists in the country and promote access to information and understanding in society,” says Adriaan Bester, AVBOB General Manager for Corporate Affairs.
The FCJ’s annual awards were launched in 1990 and aims to encourage excellence and reward meritorious work in community journalism. The awards will henceforth be known as the AVBOB FCJ Annual Excellence Awards.
The Call for Entries for the AVBOB FCJ Annual Excellence Awards for 2021 will be sent to all members in the next week or so and more information about the gala prize giving event will be sent in due course.
