By Fifi Rhodes WINDHOEK The prestigious Namibia Media Awards, which aim at promoting excellence in journalism, has received a boost in the form of a N$31ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ 500 sponsorship from Bank Windhoek. The sponsorship will cover prizes for award-winning stories that will be submitted in the business or economics section. “Recognizing the outstanding media practitioners is our way of showing our appreciation for their hard work and support throughout the year,” Helene Badenhorst, head of corporate communication and social investment at Bank Windhoek told a ceremony two days ago. The event that is also co-sponsored by Bank Windhoek promises to celebrate in style the best in contemporary Namibian Journalism. “We understand that you, the media, play an important role in informing and educating the public about issues and topics that have an impact on their lives. Therefore, it is the responsibility of Bank Windhoek and the journalists to communicate openly, transparently and objectively about events occurring in everyday life. This responsibility should be taken seriously,” she stated. The call for entries for the Namibia Media Awards 2007 was launched on March 23rd, at a press conference held at the FÃÆ’Æ‘Æ‘ÃÆ”šÃ‚¼rstenhof Hotel in Windhoek. The awards follow the first three successful annual award programmes hailed by the public and journalists themselves as an important and influential event to help raise the standard of journalism. The awards serve as one of the best benchmarks against which journalists could compare the professionalism of their work. Finalists will be announced on June 14 while the gala event is scheduled for June 30. MISA Namibia is the only organization that represents the rights and interests of journalists in the country and it continues to improve and build on the tradition of recognizing individuals and organizations for their outstanding achievements in support of the profession of journalism. MISA Namibia is organizing the 4th Namibia Media Awards in collaboration with Namibia Strategic Business Communication. The Awards are co-sponsored by numerous great enterprises, like Unesco, Telecom, Bank Windhoek and Shell Namibia. The entry deadline for the awards is set for next Monday, April 30, 2007. The entry deadline for the Freedom of Expression Award is Tuesday, May 31, 2007. The awards are open to professional as well as freelance journalists either employed and/or producing work for Namibia media companies and institutions.