The Times wins three journalism awards

Three journalists from Allied Newspapers Limited, including a former editor, won the awards for print journalism, press photography and the Gold Award at the 12th BPC Award to Journalists yesterday.

Herman Grech won the print journalism award for his articles on police strip-searches, the President`s traffic accident in Bulgaria - which Mr Grech saw at first hand and which left one person dead and an interview with a person who tried to rescue a woman and child who drowned at Xatt ir-Risq, in Vittoriosa.

Darrin Zammit Lupi won the press photography award for his submissions which consisted of a poignant photograph of the funeral of the Gozo Siamese twins, a picture showing Falun Gong practitioner Wenyi Wang confronting Chinese President Jiang Zemin in Mdina and a view of the Salib tal-Gholja on Maundy Thursday.

The winner of the Gold Award, introduced five years ago, was Anthony Montanaro.

Mr Montanaro, a director of Allied Newspapers, entered journalism in 1943, was editor of Il-Berqa between 1958 and 1966 and of The Sunday Times of Malta between 1966 and 1991.

He was also parliamentary editor of The Times from 1947 to 1976.

Mr Montanaro is a member of the council of the Strickland Foundation, set up in 1979. He was a founder member and first chairman of the Press Club (Malta) and is a knight of magistral grace, Sovereign Military Order of Malta, and a member of the National Order of Merit.

The Gold Award - which recognises those who have gone beyond the standard and professional requisites of journalism during their career - was presented to Mr Montanaro by the chairman of the Gold Award judging panel, former President Ugo Mifsud Bonnici.

Previous winners of the Gold Award were Fr Joe Borg, Anton Cassar, Frank Attard and J.G. Vassallo.

Mr Montanaro recalled how his journalistic career had started when, as a student in the early 1940s, he thought he would take up the job for just a few months.

He said journalism was a career that demanded one`s total commitment. One had to dedicate one`s whole life to journalism. You breathe journalism and you live journalism, Mr Montanaro said.

The BPC Award to Journalists covers five categories: print journalism; broadcast journalism; sports journalism; press photography, and press cartoons.

Of the six finalists in the print journalism category, three work for The Times.

The broadcast journalism award was won by PBS journalist Reno Bugeja and the award for sports journalism went to John Busuttil and Sandro Micallef who present "Replay" on Net TV.

The award in the press cartoons category was not awarded.

A total of 35 journalists entered their work which had to be published or broadcast last year and 15 finalists were selected to contend for the five categories.

In his address at the ceremony, held at the studios of Audiovision Productions in Hamrun, the chairman of The Malta Press Club, Malcolm J. Naudi spoke about the events of the last year, saying The Malta Press Club had made its voice heard through the prompt issuing of statements when the freedom of the press was threatened and delivered its message directly to the authorities where necessary.

Expectations and requests for The Malta Press Club to take certain initiatives were increasing and it was time for the council to have a solid, financial base, leading to the support of voluntary work by full-time staff, Mr Naudi said.

Janet Mifsud, the chairman of the judging panel, which prepared a detailed report on the submissions, said the effects of the September 11 attacks could be felt in the tone of works submitted.

The TV submissions improved over the last year and the features were moving. Unfortunately, however, they were all from one station.

The highest level of professionalism was found in the press photography category, the report said, with the best works bringing together technical skills, a journalistic eye and artistic expression. Some were a news item in themselves.

Dr Mifsud pointed out the lack of submissions with a political theme, the lack of participation in certain categories, namely radio journalism and press cartoons and an increase in human stories, particularly following September 11.

The BPC Award to Journalists was launched in 1990 and is aimed at enhancing the standard of journalism in Malta. It has been organised on an annual basis by The Malta Press Club and sponsored by BPC International Ltd.

Trophies for the 12th edition were created by artist Luciano Micallef and the winning journalists were also presented with a cheque for Lm200.

The award ceremony, compered by Claudine Camilleri and Xandru Grech, is being broadcast on PBS tomorrow at 6.45 p.m.