The independent panel of judges for the TNM Super League Media Competition has announced the short-list of 17 finalists to compete at the gala awards ceremony in Blantyre on February 28th.
This year’s panel is headed by veteran journalist Brian Ligomeka, who is Executive Director of media NGO Centre for Solutions Journalism (CSJ). Other two members of the panel are journalism lecturers Ellard Manjawira and Maclan Kanyan’gwa from The Polytechnic, a constituent college of University of Malawi.
Head of the panel Ligomeka said entries for the 2019 season were of superior quality and reflected the emphasis and detail to attention that sports journalists and their media houses place on the coverage of the TNM Super League, which is the country’s elite soccer league.
“The entries across the categories were of superior quality and attest to the coming of age of sports journalism in Malawi. Of particular interest in the 2019 competition is that veterans and upcoming sports journalists alike gave each other stiff competition, and we have also seen an increase in participation by female sports journalists,” he said.
The journalists are competing in seven categories of Best Print, Radio, Television, Online, Live Commentary and Best Photography (Print & Television).
They are Japhet Thole and Mwakhele Kaliyande (MIJ 90.3FM radio), Joy Ndovie, Garry Chirwa & Bobby Kabango (The Nation), Frank Kandu and Steve Liwewe Banda (MBC), Innocent Chitimbe (Timveni Radio), Emmanuel Simpokolwe, Peter Kanjere, Oded Mkangama and Mabvuto Kambuwe (Times Group), Yassin Limu (Radio & TV Islam), Esther Banda, Lucy Kadzongwe and Snowden Kadzakumanja (Rainbow TV) and Benjamin Maona (Kulinji.com).
“That both veterans and upcoming journalists, including women have made it into the top 17 speaks volumes about the equal level playing field that this competition provides to the media. As judges, we are satisfied with the intense effort and high quality of standards that the entries demonstrate. Now comes the hard part to identify the eventual winners,” said Ligomeka.
TNM Brand & Communications Manager, Limbani Nsapato welcomed the short-list. He said the list represents the current cream of football journalists in the local media, which underscores the competition’s objective to promote quality sports journalism, integrity and recognition of outstanding football writers and analysts.
“TNM considers sports journalists as an important stakeholder in our continuing quest to develop the game of soccer in Malawi. These awards underscore our serious commitment towards media development and professionalism in Malawi,” said Nsapato.
The awards ceremony will take place at the College of Medicine Sports Complex. The work of the independent panel of judges was coordinated by FD Communications Ltd.
