Marinovich wins Vodacom regional award for online journalism

South African photojournalist Greg Marinovich has won the online category for Gauteng of the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards 2013.

He was recognised for his investigative feature in The Daily Maverick, The murder fields of Marikana, which lifted the lid on events during the Marikana shootingof 34 miners by police.

The return of the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards has seen the bar being raised with ‚”pockets of excellence evident in all categories, underscoring the vital need for this competition,‚” says co-convenor of the judging panel Mary Papayya.

The judging process was a rigorous one with a professional judging panel taking part in robust debate and critical and concise decision making. According to the judges the review of the categories for this year’s Vodacoms attracted some of the best journalism in South Africa. ‚”We hope the momentum and interest in these awards will continue,‚” said Papayya.

This year 832 entries were received in the 12 categories: CSI/Sustainability, Editor’s Choice, Financial/Economic, Online, Photography, Print Feature, Print News, Radio Feature, Radio News, Sport, Television Feature and Television News. The Print News category received the most entries with 161 submissions nationally, and the Northern Region (Gauteng) had the highest number of entries across all categories at 339.

‚”We are really delighted with the response to the awards this year and the calibre,‚” says Maya Makanjee, Chief Officer for Corporate Affairs at Vodacom. ‚”The independent panel of judges were presented with a great challenge to find the best-of-the-best in South African journalism, and went through a rigorous process to do so.

‚”This year’s judging panel comprised experts in their fields, and we thank Elna Rossouw, Mary Papayya, Colin Nxumalo, Arthur Goldstuck, Johann de Wet, Joe Thloloe, Ryland Fisher, and Patricia McCracken, who made their time and expertise available to us,‚” said Makanjee. Mary Papayya and Joe Thloloe served as co-convenors for this year’s awards.

Regional winners for the Northern region were announced today in Johannesburg at the Protea Fire & Ice hotel.

Regional winners will each take home R5 000 and travel to Johannesburg for the national finals on 1 November.

The winners of the 2013 Vodacom Journalist of the Year regional Awards in the Northern Region are:

2013 CSI/Sustainability winner

Sipho Kings, Mail & Guardian, Bio fuel plant backfires on community

2013 Financial/Economic winner

Jacques Pauw, Rapport/City Press, Nes van bedrog

2013 Online winner

Greg Marinovich, The Daily Maverick, The murder fields of Marikana

2013 Photography winners

Siphiwe Sibeko, Reuters, Marikana: and

Herman Verwey, News24, Rise and fall of Oscar Pistorius

2013 Print Feature winner

Thanduxolo Jika, Andrew Trench, Athandiwe Saba, Leon Sadiki, Loyiso Sidimba, Lucas Ledwaba, Nicki Gules, Sipho Masondo, Sizwe Yende, Media24 Investigations/City Press/Graphics24, Faces of Marikana

2013 Print News winners

Rob Rose, Mzilikazi Wa Afrika, Stephan Hofstatter, Sunday Times, Dina Pule (body of work)

2013 Radio Feature winner

Melini Moses, SAFM, Lolly Lounges: Dens of iniquity

2013 Radio News winner

Gia Nicolaides, Talk Radio 702, Marikana

2013 Sport winner

Sameer Naik, Saturday Star, Team South Africa’s golden road to London

2013 Television Feature winners

Mpho Lakaje, Dzivhuluwani Ramabulana, Eurishka Nadesan, ETV, Against All Odds with Mpho Lakaje Sheri Brynard

2013 Television News winner

Luxolo Xoli Mngambi, eNCA, Minutes before the Marikana massacre happened

2013 Editor’s choice winner

Herman Scholtz, Media24/Huisgenoot/You, Scholtz was nominated by Yvonne Beyers

Makanjee says, ‚”Congratulations to all the winners in the Northern region, and we look forward to welcoming you at the national finals, which will be a celebration of the best in journalism in South Africa.‚”

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