Awards 2019

MISA Malawi is inviting interested paid up members to submit their outstanding published works for the 2019 MISA Malawi Media Awards. The awards will be presented as part of the celebrations to mark the 2019 World Press Freedom Day at our annual Gala Dinner scheduled for Saturday, 4 May 2019 at Sunbird Mzuzu Hotel.

Key dates

Entries must be published or aired between 1st April 2018 and 31st March 2019.

The deadline for receiving individual entries is 31st March 2019.

The deadline for institutional awards is 30 April 2019.

The media house of the year awards will be open for nomination between 15th and 30th April 2019.

Categories

• Health Governance (print and electronic)
  
• Anti-Corruption Award (print and electronic)
  
• Investigative Journalist of the Year (print and electronic)
• Business and Economics Journalist of the Year (print and electronic)
• Democracy and Good Governance Journalist of the Year (print and electronic)
• Red Ribbon/HIV Journalist of the Year (print and electronic)
• Education Journalist of the Year (print and electronic)
• Human rights journalist of the year (print and electronic)
• Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Journalist of the Year (print and electronic)
• Tourism Journalist of the Year (print and electronic)
• ICT Journalist of the Year (print and electronic)
• Paediatric and Adolescence HIV Journalist of the Year (print and electronic)
• Public Infrastructure Management Journalist of the Year (print and electronic)
• Sustainable Development Goals Journalist of the Year (print and electronic)
• Sports Journalist of the Year (combined print and electronic)
• Chichewa Journalist of the Year (combined print and electronic)
• Photo Journalist of the Year (combined print and electronic)
• Best Farm Radio Programme of the Year (electronic only)
• Talk Show Host of the Year (electronic only)

MISA Malawi will also recognise the following categories:

• Overall Winner
• Lifetime Achiever
• Print Media House of the Year
• Electronic Media House of the Year: Radio 
• Electronic Media House of the Year: Television 
• Electronic Media house of the Year: Online-
• Blogger of the Year
• Raphael Tenthani Columnist of the Year

Entry conditions

Individuals can only send a maximum of two entries per category.

MISA Malawi members will be required to vote/nominate their respective choices under Lifetime Achiever (view regulations here) and Print and Electronic Media House of the Year (view regulations here) awards.

Entries for Talk Show Host, Blogger and Ralph Tenthani Columnist of the year categories should be accompanied by motivations and samples of the nominees’ published works.

These should be emailed to misaawards@gmail.com copied to info@misamalawi.org on or before April 30, 2019.

Media houses are also free to nominate themselves for the Media House of the Year Award in line with the rules and regulations governing the awards in question.  The media house of the year awards will be open for nomination between 15th and 30th April, 2019.

Entry judging criteria

• Originality. Does it rephrase, regurgitate, recycle or reuse material or information from an article published by someone else?
• Impact. Has it attracted attention and reactions – either positive or negative – from the general public, as well as authorities or responsible figures?
• Consistency. Does it cover an issue throughout its lifespan and present its ideas and information in a logical flow?
• Courage. Did the author show initiative and persistence in uncovering facts and sources?Investigation and analysis. Is it do deeper analysis beyond the surface or rather parrot what what a source says?
• Gender. Does it use gender-sensitive language, balance male and female voices and highlight how the issues affects both sexes?

Submitting entries

Entries should be sent or hand-delivered to the following address:

Secretary for the Awards Committee
MISA Malawi Secretariat
Onions Complex
Off-Paul Kagame Highway
Area 4
P.O. Box 30463
Lilongwe 3

Judging criteria

• Originality. Does it rephrase, regurgitate, recycle or reuse material or information from an article published by someone else?
• Impact. Has it attracted attention and reactions – either positive or negative – from the general public, as well as authorities or responsible figures?
• Consistency. Does it cover an issue throughout its lifespan and present its ideas and information in a logical flow?
• Courage. Did the author show initiative and persistence in uncovering facts and sources?
  Investigation and analysis. Is it do deeper analysis beyond the surface or rather parrot what what a source says?
• Gender. Does it use gender-sensitive language, balance male and female voices and highlight how the issues affects both sexes?

Meet the 2019 jury

Jacob Jimu is a journalist and media trainer with 14 years of media industry experience. He currently lectures at the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at The Polytechnic, University of Malawi, where he teaches specialised writing, research methods and media and society. He previously eight years at Nation Publications Limited where he held various positions such as news analyst and section head for Weekend Nation, the Current Affairs Desk and Nation on Sunday. Jacob holds a Bachelor of Journalism from The Polytechnic, University of Malawi, and a Masters in Political Science from Chancellor College. He has been involved in media and policy consultancies in a wide range of areas such as communication strategy design, political reporting, science communication and multimedia production. His areas of interest are political communication, political participation, science communication and political finance.

Dr. Sydney Friendly Kankuzi is a media and communication trainer and researcher specialising in the sociology of mass communication and academic literacy. He is currently a lecturer and researcher in the Communication and Cultural Studies program at Chancellor College, University of Malawi. As well as this, Sydney is a reviewer of media and communication studies programs at the National Council for Higher Education. On the international scene, some of his research has been published in Senegal, South Africa and in the West. Sydney also sits on the Editorial Advisory Board for the journalism and mass communication studies section at Cambridge Scholars Publishing, a UK-based publisher. Sydney holds a PhD in Journalism from Ulster University (UK), an MA in Cultural and Media Studies from the University of KwaZulu Natal (South Africa), a BA (Honours) in Cultural and Media Studies from University of Natal and a B. Ed Humanities, with a major in English Language Teaching, from the University of Malawi.

Cliff Kawanga is a media and development specialist and holds a Master of Arts Degree (Media and Development) from the University of Westminster, United Kingdon. Cliff has worked in the media in Malawi and the UK for 13 years. Between 2005 and 2017, he held various positions at Times Group which include Features Editor, Deputy Editor and Editor. Cliff is a fellow of the National Press Foundation (Washington, USA), Chevening Scholarship recipient, Chairperson of Malawi Editors Forum and member of The African Editors Forum.

Zilani Khonje is a communications specialist experienced in Communication for Development and Knowledge Management and is currently working as a Knowledge Management Consultant. She recently completed her five-year service as the Communications and Outreach Director for the Millennium Challenge Account – Malawi from 2013-2019. Prior to joining MCA-Malawi, Zilani worked for Oxfam in Malawi as the Media and Communications Coordinator and as the Public Relations Coordinator for ActionAid from 2008 – 2010. She also has 11 years’ experience in print and electronic media having worked for MBC TV and Star Newspaper. Zilani received her MA in Media and International Development from University of East Anglia and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the Polytechnic at the University of Malawi. Apart from English, Zilani speaks Swahili, Chewa, Tumbuka and Tonga.

Isaac Masingati is a communications specialist currently working for the USAID-Feed the Future Malawi Agriculture Diversification Activity. A journalism graduate from the University of Malawi (Polytechnic), Masingati has over 15 years of journalism experience. From the Democrat where he started as an intern, Masingati went on to work for The Nation as business and features writer; the Daily Times as Business and Supplements editor and the Lagos-based Emmanuel TV as editor. Masingati is no stranger to media awards, winning the prestigious CNN African Business Journalist of the Year Award in 2002 and again in 2006 as well as the Population Institute’s Global Media Award in 2013. He is also a two-time finalist of the Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards. Back home, Masingati is a proud winner of two MISA Malawi awards. Masingati now combines work with school at the Polytechnic where he is studying for a MA in Health and Behaviour Change Communication.

Upile Faith Muhariwa is a development communication expert with over ten years of experience. Currently she is a Knowledge Management and Communication Specialist for the Sustainable Agriculture Production Programme in the Ministry of Agriculture. Previously, she worked for eight years as an Agriculture Communications Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture and also taught English at the Polytechnic’s Continuing Education Centre in Lilongwe for five years. Upile holds a bachelor’s degree in Media for Development from the University of Malawi, Chancellor College, and a Masters in Media Studies from the University of Oslo, Norway.

Rebecca Phwitiko has 11 years’ experience in the communications field. She currently works as Communications Officer for UNICEF, where she produces content and materials for advocacy and donor engagement. A former reporter, news producer and editor for the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, Rebecca has also worked as Public Relations Officer for the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. At the ministry, she performed all communications-related tasks, including event management, drafting materials such as ministerial statements, speeches and reports, providing media updates on ministry’s programmes and responding to media queries. As a volunteer at the YWCA of Malawi, Rebecca has worked on advocacy campaigns around education, sexual and reproductive health and rights, violence against women and political participation. She believes all of these topics are key social and economic issues in the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals. Through these various roles, Rebecca has witnessed first-hand the power of the media in setting (and shifting) the agenda and advancing development causes.

Thanks to our amazing sponsors!

MISA Malawi Media Awards 2019 wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of the following sponsors.

MISA Malawi’s annual Media Awards wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of our award sponsors. If your organisation is interested in being part of our high-profile awards, and playing a role in supporting journalism excellence in Malawi, don’t hesitate to contact us on:

Tel: +265 1 758 091

Email: info@misamalawi.org

The 2019 Media Awards gala dinner and awards ceremony will be held at the Sunbird Mzuzu Hotel on Saturday, 4th May 2019 commencing at 6pm. 

Gala dinner programme

18:00 – 18:30  Arrival of guests

18:30 – 19:00  All guests seated

19:00 – 19:15  Arrival of Guest of Honour

19:15 – 19:50  Opening prayer, remarks and speeches

• Welcome remarks, Misa Malawi Chairperson
• Remarks by UNICAF University representative 
• Remarks by UN resident representative
• Keynote speaker: Malawi Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Jane Ansah
• Remarks by Guest of Honour: Minister of Information, and Communications Technology, Hon Henry Mussa

19:50 – 20:35  Dinner

20:35 – 22:00  Presentation of Awards: Awards Committee Chairperson

22:00 til late  Dance floor opens