The National Press Club (NPC) invites all members to enter the National Press Club-North-West University (NWU) Journalist of the Year competition 2024. Members have until the 4th of April 2025 to submit their entries.
“We stand for journalistic integrity as well as excellence in this noble craft, while we also seek to celebrate our diligent and accessible spokespersons,” says NPC acting chairperson Antoinette Slabbert. Slabbert also highlighted the growing popularity of these awards, while also extending gratitude to the NWU for their dedication and commitment to media freedom and the plurality of voices in the South African media landscape with their continued partnership.
The awards for 2024 will be presented at the annual Newsmaker of the Year function, a highlight on the club’s calendar. This year’s event will be particularly special, with the Government of National Unity being named the 2024 Newsmaker of the Year.
Prof Bismark Tyobeka, principal and vice-chancellor of NWU, says: “The media plays a crucial role in determining leadership legitimacy and they do so by shaping and influencing public opinion. Last year, South Africa once again showed that we are a country where democracy thrives. Again, we showed that we can look past our differences and seek common goals. For this system to flourish as it does, we need accountability measures, and this is where we want to applaud your steadfast approach to ensure that honesty and transparency in all spheres of society prevail.”
The panel of judges will include various industry experts and academics. “We appeal to journalists, photographers, presenters, producers and media liaison officers to enter the competition.”
The competition will consist of 11 categories:
- Print and digital: news; features/investigative journalism; and photography.
- Broadcast media: radio news; radio features/investigative/actuality; TV news; TV features/investigative/actuality; and TV cameraperson.
- Excellence in community journalism: print/digital and radio features/investigative/actuality.
The NPC also reminded communicators of the media liaison officers’ category that seeks to reward meticulous and dedicated spokespersons who excelled in 2024.
“The spokesperson of the year category seeks to recognise communicators who reflect excellence, outstanding communication skills, accessibility, helpfulness and the like,” added Antoinette Slabbert. This category will be chosen by the NPC committee.
In every category the winner will receive a cash prize sponsored by the NWU. From the categories (excluding media liaison officer category) an overall winner will be selected.
The NPC-NWU overall journalist of the year will win a cash prize of R10,000 sponsored by the university. “It delights us that NWU continues to work with us in shining the light on the fourth estate. This is yet another indication of its commitment to recognising excellence,” Slabbert says.
COMPETITION RULES
Closing Date: Friday 4 April 2025
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
● Entrants have to confirm that it is their own work and agree to it being used for publicity.
● Individuals may enter as many categories as they wish.
● Non-English entries should be translated into English (original published work must also be included).
● Entries must be submitted electronically.
* To Enter: Click on the category (category 1 to 11) you wish to submit your entry for.
CATEGORIES
● Entrants can enter work published from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024.
● For categories 1 to 10, individuals must enter their own work.
● For category 11, entrants can enter their own work or be nominated by someone.
● Category 1 to 10 entrants must be National Press Club members with up-to-date 2025 membership (you may contact the Secretariat at secretariat@nationalpressclub.co.za to verify your membership status. The membership fee has been drastically reduced to R250 per person to assist those who want to enter the competition.
* PRINT AND ONLINE MEDIA (NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES AND ONLINE MEDIA)
Prize money: R 8,000
● Enter a portfolio of not more than 5 news articles
● Write a 200-word motivation for your entry (on entry form)
● Attach clearly legible PDF documents of articles or insert the URL of the published story
CATEGORY 2 – Features / Investigative Journalism
Prize money: R 8,000
● Enter a portfolio of not more than 3 features/ investigative pieces
● Write a 200-word motivation for your entry (on entry form)
● Attach clearly legible PDF documents of articles or insert the URL of the published story
Prize money: R 8,000
● Enter a portfolio of not more than 5 photographs
● The photos must be submitted as a PDF or hi-res jpeg files (at least 300 DPI/ PPI)
● Write a 200-word motivation for your entry (on entry form)
● Attach PDF documents or insert the URL of the published photographs
RADIO
Prize money: R 8,000
● Enter a portfolio of not more than 5 news items
● All the items should be a maximum of 90 seconds (1.5 minutes) each
● Attach the recording as an MP3 and supply a written script as it was broadcast
● Write a 200-word motivation for your entry (on entry form)
● Upload a letter from an editor to confirm the date of broadcast
CATEGORY 5 – Radio Features / Investigative / Actuality
Prize money: R 8,000
● Enter portfolio of not more than 3 pieces
● All the items should be a maximum of 30 minutes each
● Attach the recording as an MP3 and supply a written script as it was broadcast
● Write a 200-word motivation for your entry (on entry form)
● Upload a letter from an editor to confirm the date of broadcast
TELEVISION
Prize money: R 8,000
● Enter a portfolio of not more than 5 news items
● All items should be a maximum of 5 minutes each
● Upload a copy of the broadcast to YouTube and add the link to the entry form
● Write a 200-word motivation for your entry (on entry form)
● Upload a letter from an editor to confirm the date of broadcast
CATEGORY 7 – TV In-depth/ Features / Interviews
Prize money: R 8,000
● Enter a portfolio of not more than 3 pieces
● All items should be a maximum of 1 hour each (preferably 30 minutes)
● Upload a copy of the recording on YouTube and submit the link on your entry form
● Write a 200-word motivation for your entry (on entry form)
● Upload a letter from an editor to confirm the date of broadcast
Prize money: R 8,000
● Enter a portfolio of 1 piece of up to 30 minutes insert OR 3 pieces of up to 10 minutes each insert
- Upload a copy/ copies of the broadcast to YouTube and add the link to the entry form
● Write a 200-word motivation for your entry (on entry form)
● Upload a letter from an editor to confirm the date of broadcast
EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY JOURNALISM
CATEGORY 9 – Community Journalism: Print/ Online
Prize money: R 8,000
- This category is for journalists working at community publications (excluding mainstream publications)
- Enter a portfolio of not more than 5 news articles
● Write a 200-word motivation for your entry (on entry form)
● Attach clearly legible PDF documents of articles or insert the URL of the published story
CATEGORY 10 – Community Journalism: Radio – News/ Features/ Investigative
Prize money: R 8,000
- This category is for journalists working at community radio stations (excluding mainstream radio stations)
- Enter a portfolio of not more than 5 news items
● All the items should be a maximum of 6 minutes each
● Attach the recording as an MP3 and supply a written script as it was broadcast
● Write a 200-word motivation for your entry (on entry form)
● Upload a letter from an editor to confirm the date of broadcast
CATEGORY 11 – Media Liaison Officer/ Communications Officer/ Spokesperson
Prize money: R8,000
In this category you can either enter yourself or nominate someone else.
● Enter a portfolio of work (one or more projects)
● Give a minimum of 5 references
● Write a 500-word motivation to motivate your entry (on entry form)
OVERALL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Prize money: R10,000
From the first 10 categories (excluding category 11 – media liaison officer) an overall winner will be selected.
Various factors will be taken into account, including the scores and a discussions by judges.
The overall winner will be the “National Press Club Journalist of the Year”, whether a reporter, photographer or camera person.
JUDGING CRITERIA
- Originality
● Creativity - Newsworthiness
● Accuracy
● Impact
● Use of medium
● Overcoming barriers/resilience/tenacity
HOW TO ENTER:
- Each entry/portfolio must have a separate entry form.
● An entry/portfolio will consist of a selection of work, subject to the maximum for each section, published
during the period 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024.
● The entrant must verify that the entry is his/her own work.
● Entries must be submitted in English. Entries in other languages must be accompanied by an English-translated version.
● Entries close at midnight (23h59) on Friday, 4 April 2025.
CATEGORY LINKS:
Category 1 – Print/ Online: News https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScr_C9I_Hu20RgtPHnpqMHCWAAGIOdOQuXTjZdl0VUSFPcRJA/viewform?usp=dialog
Category 2 – Print/ Online: Features/Investigative https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSexB42rid49S8gix3Kx6N6tmV5Barz7KtuoJzKY0IB5smSHww/viewform?usp=dialog
Category 3 – Print/ Online: Photojournalism https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdAsF8Y28QK8HyePGEewrFm-CbkwZDN-rbOk6Ii6oOiy3ilMg/viewform?usp=dialog
Category 4 – Radio: News https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdOkA__IhPq2E236rk9IXH11FGsCIAO9IctqpRcuJLh1Rb-uA/viewform?usp=dialog
Category 5 – Radio: Features/ Investigative/ Actuality https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc5rID-m0YK2TUd6A7q71GZ1PW_4hZnKpHG2Zs85cwIIr_GTw/viewform?usp=dialog
Category 6 – TV: News https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdbhtemQw642jLFroEBiV2RCukm62U6DuryHCckyFwndTKFFQ/viewform?usp=dialog
Category 7 – TV: In-depth/ Features/ Interviews https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdOkA__IhPq2E236rk9IXH11FGsCIAO9IctqpRcuJLh1Rb-uA/viewform?usp=dialog
Category 8 – TV: Cameraperson https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScJ4zXVHCq6EiitJTCgawCYOvjzgGhrp8ONyJLNX8QA_ZFohw/viewform?usp=dialog
Category 9 – Community Journalism: Print/Online https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdscoaBOlNbwPfj6wmoic2Clr3vLDjdzKp5ny8yCMCeNV5JQA/viewform
Category 10 – Community Journalism: Radio News/ Features/ Investigative https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdscoaBOlNbwPfj6wmoic2Clr3vLDjdzKp5ny8yCMCeNV5JQA/viewform?usp=dialog
Category 11 – Spokesperson/ Media Liaison/ Communications Officer https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdFk37Zu0tXYydwKFvi1M_yvLTGRcRRif0UjsVzdL_7KjUjAQ/viewform?usp=dialog
*National Press Club executive committee (exco) members are not allowed to enter the competition.
INQUIRIES:
Secretariat