THE One Economy Foundation rewarded journalists for their outstanding work in reporting on and unearthing gender-based violence related stories in the community over the past year.
The winners were drawn from various media, including radio, television, digital and print platforms.
Choolwe Siachoono (Unam Radio) clinched the top award in radio, with freelance journalist Vitalio Angula securing the runner-up position.
On the television front, Selma Ikela received the top prize, while Katemba Tjipepa, Gordon Joseph, and Maria Kaluusha were acknowledged as runners-up.
Selma Iyambo scooped the digital media category award for her impactful podcast, which also earned international recognition while Tuyeimo Haindula and Shellegyan Peterson were the winners in print media.
The prize money for the winners was N$10 000 each while the runners-up received N$5 000 each.
In an interview with New Era, Iyambo shared the inspiration behind her award-winning podcast.
“I had to put this idea to use to ensure Namibians do not suffer as sexual reproductive issues are not always discussed in our household,” she said.
Meanwhile, Angula highlighted the challenges he faced while covering a story on the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine hosted by the ministry of health.
“I lost hope while doing this story, no one wanted to talk to me at the ministry of health and social services stakeholder engagement. I was not allowed to take pictures or to be in the venue where the engagement was taking place,” he said.
Angula said he found this story interesting because he wanted to find out more about the HPV vaccine.
Veteran journalist Gwen Lister, the founding editor of The Namibian, added her perspective, underscoring the significance of unwavering dedication and determination in the field of journalism.
“If we are the freest press, why are we not the best? I spent most of the time thinking about this comment, which I believe has some merit. My intention is to share some of the thoughts that will help ignite some debates around this subject,” she said.
As an advocate of journalism, Lister said good journalism is about what the public needs and it might take a while for this idea to find traction.
“But let’s try and fix the cracks in the media and persist in finding standards of professionalism and excellence,” she said.