JOHANNESBURG, 10 May 2023 - Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) launches its 7th edition of the Isu Elihle Awards Competition - an African ground breaking initiative that promotes and supports ethical, engaging and quality reporting on children’s issues. The phrase, Isu Elihle is isiZulu for “great idea”. As the name suggests is an awards competition that challenges journalists to submit high quality child-focused story ideas that are innovative, places children’s issues at the centre, involves children’s voices when it is in their best interest, and holds the powerful to account.

The competition aims to empower and equip journalists through mentorship, sharing of resources and providing financial support to help them to develop and publish their stories in any mainstream news media platform of their choice. This encourages journalists to challenge how they see children engage with the issues that affect them. This results in a remarkable journey of growth evident in the initial story idea, all the way to the final published story.

A former winner, Jamaine Krige shares her experience, “these awards changed my perspective, l stopped reporting about children and l started cooperating them in my reporting.”

The awards also continues to honor the legacy of Mandy Rossouw through the Isu Elihle Mandy Rossouw Accountability Category, which is awarded to the journalist (if so determined) who made the best attempt at holding the powerful to account on issues specifically related to children.

This year's Isu Elihle awards come at a crucial time, when the explosion of AI is making it easier to spread mis and disinformation, where media houses across the continent continue to struggle for sustainability and where levels of trust in media continue to decline. Journalists can use the Isu Elihle Awards not not just to provide excellent story ideas about children but then go on to hold powerful people accountable and through excellent quality journalism help build trust in the media.

We are excited to announce that entries for this year’s lsu Elihle awards are open. All the details are as follows:

1. Entries should be made in accordance with the instructions given on the competition entry form and must be submitted on, or before, 00:00 (CAT) 15 June 2023. After this date, no extensions or concessions will be granted.
2. All entries must be in English.
3. The Competition is open to professional journalists, whether directly employed or freelancers, working in the continent of Africa.This pertains to the following countries: Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
4. Please find competition rules here and entry form for here.
5. The Prizes are

Winner Categories

Approximate Cash prize

Overall Winner

ZAR 25 000

First runner up

ZAR 15 000

Second runner up

ZAR 10 000

Mandy Rossouw Category (“MRC”)

Between ZAR 10 000 and ZAR 25 000

*Please note that it is possible for one of the top 3 winners to be selected as the winner of the Mandy Rossouw Category. In this case they would take two cash prizes. It is also possible that the MRC will not be awarded based on judges’ final decision.

For further information, please contact:

Jacques Ndong, Project Coordinator, jacquesn@mma.org.za; 011 788 1278

About MMA

Media Monitoring Africa‘s vision is a responsible, quality media that enables an engaged and informed citizenry in Africa and across the world. MMA aims to promote the development of a free, fair, ethical and critical media culture in South Africa and the rest of the continent. To achieve MMA’s vision, the three key areas that MMA seeks to address through a human rights-based approach are: media ethics, media quality and media freedom.

For more information about MMA and its work for children visit www.mediamonitoringafrica.org
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