WATCH: New editor bags major award
It was a spectacular evening of excellence, proving that the West Rand is a force to be reckoned with.
The presenter alerts the crowd to the fact that the winner of the next category had the tremendous task to make an impact on the community.
As the audience sits and listens to the list of finalists being called, the Roodepoort Record’s new acting editor, Adéle Bloem hears her name being mentioned. In anticipation, her friends and colleagues joining her at the Annual Caxton Awards 2019 at the posh Maslow Hotel in Pretoria, took hands a split second before the winner was announced in the Impact Story of the Year category.
“As you can see [from the other finalists] the choice was a difficult one. We congratulate Adéle Bloem of the Roodepoort Record who wins this category! The winning portfolio is a fine example of community activism in local journalism, where the journalist didn’t simply pursue a story, but started a community campaign. Of all the writing categories, this portfolio stood out as the highlight of 2018. The story of a missing child started local and then went national. She wasn’t overwhelmed by the fact that it went national and didn’t get carried away by the emotional side. She simply kept on reporting. The portfolio portrays hard work, dedication, tenacity and creativity, not only in reporting on an unfolding story, but also using it to provide valuable contextual and educational information to the community,” presenter Lebogang Majabula Mokoena said as Adéle walked onto the stage to collect her award.
Team West Rand erupted with applause as one of their own, a true gem, proudly holds a year’s hard work in her hands!
But that was not all that Team West Rand took home. It was an evening of great success. Graphic designer Michael van der Walt was a finalist in the Best Written and Designed Medium Advertisement category together with his manager Marita Jansen van Vuuren. But the real stars of Caxton West Rand were the team behind the Best Minor Advertisement Features in print and/ or digital category.
Mukundi Mavhina, Debbie Pienaar (Sales Manager), Rialien Furstenberg (Get It Joburg West editor) and Chemelle van der Merwe dominated this category. They had five entries making the finals, resulting in them winning.
Other categories in which Team West Rand were finalists were the Free Newspaper of the Year category, seeing the Randfontein Herald in the Top 4 while Adéle, together with Tumi Riba of the Randfontein Herald, also featured as finalists in the photography categories. Rialien was also a finalist in the Best Get It Magazine category.
Under the guidance of their expertly skilled manager Marita, Caxton West Rand’s production team entered an impressive Team Art Entry with the theme being Renaissance.
“Mona entered by Team West Rand did it! Marita Janse van Vuuren, Rialien Furstenberg, Lola Bester, Chemelle van der Merwe, Mukundi Mavhina, Geraldine Scott, Craig Michael, Michael van der Walt and Melissa Thoresson – congratulations! The fact that every member of the team had a part in the actual creation of this painting made it a winner. We loved the use of CMYK, connecting it to printing and bringing it into this age with the selfie and pout. Well done, Team West Rand, you take home a party pack!” Lebo said when giving the feedback from the judges.
It was a spectacular evening of excellence, proving that the West Rand is a force to be reckoned with.
