The Malta Journalism Awards

Carmel Bonello, project director for the Malta Journalism Awards, speaks to The Sunday Times on this year's edition of the awards, which were launched a few days ago by The Malta Press Club

This Year's Malta Journalism Awards, which have now arrived at the 13th edition, were launched in a restructured format. The Malta Press Club (TMPC) as the organisers of this annual competition succeeded to conclude sponsorship agreements with no fewer than eight new sponsors in the process.

This year's edition of the journalism awards features important changes, like an increase in the number of categories from five to seven, and an increase in the prize fund.

Another new feature is the e-journalism, while the previous broadcast journalism category has been split into two categories - one for broadcast script and the other for broadcast film - to recognise the individual merits of both the journalist and the news cameraman.

Furthermore, to recognise the importance of good Maltese in journalism, all submissions in Maltese will automatically participate in a special category called Il-Lingwa Nazzjonali fil-Gurnalizmu. Mr Bonello explained that it is essential that, after each edition, journalists, editors and managements go through the Judging Panel Report and follow its recommendations.

Year after year, these reports emphasised that journalists should make an added effort to communicate in both respective languages - Maltese and English. TMPC wants to give due recognition to that journalist who best uses the Maltese language in journalism.

"We are proud to have instituted this special category. We are grateful for the support we have received from Akkademja tal-Malti and the Ministry of Education, and from other academics, writers, poets and novelists for this idea," he said.

BPC, who sponsored the awards for the past 12 years, have retained the sponsorship of the Gold Award. But as from this year, each category has a different sponsor, and thus the awards were re-named the Malta Journalism Awards (MJA).

Mr Bonello explained the individual categories in this year's MJA edition: "There is the print journalism category, which is sponsored by HSBC Bank Malta; the press photography category, sponsored by The Farsons Foundation; the press cartoons category, sponsored by the Malta International Airport; the sports journalism category sponsored by Michele Peresso Limited, operators of Eurosport; the new e-journalism category, which is sponsored by HP; and the new broadcast script journalism category and broadcast film journalism category, both of which are sponsored by the Broadcasting Authority."

Applications, which had to be submitted by last Friday to the Malta Journalism Awards secretariat, were open to all journalists. The Malta Press Club encourages all journalists, news cameramen, press cartoonists, press photographers, and sports writers to take part in the awards, irrespective of whether they are TMPC members or not.

Mr Bonello said that the Press Club has been happy with the level of submissions in past few years in print journalism, press photography and sport journalism, which have become showcases of the good standard being achieved by Maltese journalism.

"However, we would like to see an improvement in both the broadcast categories as well as in the press cartoons category," he continued. "The Malta Press Club is prepared to re-launch the radio journalism category on its own if there is a marked improvement in the submissions for the broadcast script category."

The prize fund has been increased: the winners of the print journalism, press photography, press cartoons, sports journalism, broadcast script journalism, broadcast film journalism and e-journalism categories will get a cash prize of Lm150 each.

They will also each get a Lm50 book voucher sponsored by Fondazzjoni Tumas Fenech ghall-Edukazzjoni fil-Gurnalizmu, a Lm70 voucher sponsored by Michele Peresso Limited, operators of Eurosport, and the Malta Journalism Awards trophy designed by Maltese artist Luciano Micallef. The winner of the Il-Lingwa Nazzjonali fil-Gurnalizmu special category will be presented with the Malta Journalism Award trophy for that category. The entries for this year's edition of the Malta Journalism Awards must have been published or broadcast, either in Maltese or in English, in 2002.

All journalists participate as individuals, except in the sports and e-journalism categories, where they may participate as a team.

Apart from the journalist himself or herself, editors and heads of news departments could select and submit entries of what they consider to be the best work of their respective individual journalists.

Submissions could also be forwarded by organisations. In both cases, consent had to be given by the individual journalists concerned by filling the appropriate part of the official application prior to its submission.

"Journalism is an integral and essential function of a modern democratic state. As from next year's edition, we would like to see more submissions from public and private organisations.

"These organisations, and especially their respective public relations or communications officers, should be aware that their organisation can take an active part in the Malta Journalism Awards' process by submitting on behalf of individual journalists whom they admire or respect for taking certain stands or for handling particular issues," Mr Bonello explained.

This is an opportunity that various organisations are missing on, year after year. "We suggest that these organisations start considering taking an active part from today. They can do this by tracking the work of those journalists who are producing some excellent work and then select the best three items for submission for these Awards next January," he said. "In this way an organisation will be directly showing its appreciation for professional journalistic work."

The awards are usually held to coincide with World Press Freedom Day on May 3 each year. However, this year the Council of The Malta Press Club decided to hold the awards later than usual because Maltese journalists were busy with three very important events: the EU referendum, the general elections and the Games of the Small States of Europe. "Next year we should hopefully revert to May, if not before as well," Mr Bonello said.

More information about the MJA may be obtained from The Malta Press Club by sending a letter to PO Box 412, Valletta, by calling on 2124-3212, sending a fax on 2124-9290, or from the Website www.maltapressclub.org.mt.

Concurrently with the MJA, the Press Club has also launched the sixth edition of the Gold Award, whose aim is to honour in their lifetime those people who have given more than a significant contribution to journalism through a lifelong commitment that goes beyond the call of normal journalistic duty.

Past winners of this award have been Fr Joe Borg in 1998, Anton Cassar in 1999, Frank Attard in 2000, J.G. Vassallo in 2001 and Anthony Montanaro in 2002.

"The Gold Award was established following a proposal to the Press Club by BPC founder Joseph Brockdorff, and has been sponsored by BPC ever since," Mr Bonello concluded. "We are very happy that BPC have maintained their sponsorship of the Gold Award for the sixth edition."

The closing date for the Gold Award nominations is Friday, August 29, so that more time will be available to submit the researched material needed to sustain each nomination.