"The FCJ is confident that by including this category in its competition, the work done by community journalists throughout South Africa will be showcased," says FCJ executive director Marietta Lombard.

The awards aim to grant journalists and publications the opportunity to measure their work against their peers from all media outlets in South Africa. For the second consecutive year, journalists and editors were able to enter online, according to the awards. 

Entries included:
  • 300 entries in the writing categories
  • close to 60 entries in the photographic categories
  • 82 entries for the Best Front Page of the Year, and
  • 77 entries for Newspaper of the Year.
The judges comprise:

Writing categories
  • Andre Gouws (NWU)
  • Christoper Motabogi (NWU)
  • Marlene Malan (freelance journalist and writer)
  • Willem Kempen (Vryeweekblad)
  • Dr Lizette Odendaal (Tswane University of Technology)
  • Hennie Stander (former editor of Potch Herald)
  • Johan Maarman (Die Burger), and
  • Malixole Gwatyu (former editor of Farming SA).
Best Front Pages / Best Newspapers
  • Pedro Diederichs (Tswane University of Technology)
  • Dr Johann de Jager, and
  • for pre-judging, Colin Hoffman and Marita Meyer
Photography
  • Hennie Homann
  • Sarie van den Berg, and
  • Eddie Alberts.
"The judges are currently hard at work selecting the very best journalists, photographers and newspapers in the country," Lombard concludes.

The awards ceremony will again be hosted online on a date soon to be announced.

For more information, visit www.fcjonline.co.za