Lehlohonolo Motšoari
In a landmark initiative to motivate journalists in Lesotho, the Lesotho Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA Lesotho) is set to host the first-ever annual Journalism Excellence Awards later this year.
These awards aim to honour and celebrate the exceptional work done by journalists across all media platforms in the country.
During a press conference to unveil the awards on Tuesday, Kananelo Boloetse, Chairman of MISA Lesotho, emphasised the importance of recognising the vital role journalists play in society.
“We know the importance of journalists in the country because the information they share helps Basotho in decision-making and assists the government in drafting and making policies that address the challenges faced by the public,” Boloetse stated.
He also highlighted the need for broader coverage beyond political reporting. “Journalism is one of the unrewarding professions in the country. A reward is monumental,” he noted, stressing the need for the annual recognition of journalists’ efforts.
Boloetse added: “Most audiences indicate that journalism is only focusing on politics, and this calls for journalists to expand into other beats.”
MISA Lesotho announced a partnership with the Network of Early Childhood Development of Lesotho (NECDOL) as the first sponsor of the Awards’ category on Early Childhood Development (ECD) Reporting.
NECDOL has committed to supporting the awards for the next three years. Shoeshoe Mofokeng, the coordinator of NECDOL, highlighted the role of journalists in advocating for children’s issues.
“We have realised the importance of journalists when we were advocating for children to attend preschools. We have seen growth, like names of children no longer being disclosed in the articles and now only offenders being exposed,” Mofokeng said.
This partnership aims to motivate journalists to report more on child-related issues. Boloetse commended the initiative, stating: “This sponsorship from NECDOL will motivate journalists to report more on child-related issues, but I do not advise journalists to only be driven by rewards. They need to contribute to the development of the country because this will teach us to report on other groups of the public.”
Boloetse emphasised the importance of covering various reporting categories, including sports, health, education, court reports, and entertainment.
He encouraged other sponsors to suggest additional categories they deem important. “We wanted to host these awards on May 3, which is World Press Freedom Day or on September 28, Universal Access to Information day, but that may be too soon. We are looking for a relevant day this year,” he mentioned.
The awards will include a panel of judges to determine the winners, and journalists will be given a platform to submit their best articles that have made significant changes or reactions. Boloetse added: “We are not going to only recognize English articles but also Sesotho because it is a vital language as most of the engaging media platforms use.”
NECDOL has also announced a sponsorship of M20,000 for the category of early childhood development, and Boloetse mentioned that journalists will be honoured with certificates or trophies.
“These awards will be monumental, and children and grandchildren will be able to recognise the work done by awardees. We will also provide tools like laptops that help journalists in their work,” Boloetse said, emphasising the long-term benefits of the awards.