IFEJ launches 2016 business reporting awards
The Institute of Financial and Economic Journalists (IFEJ) has launched the 2016 edition of its annual Flamingo Award for Business and Financial Journalism.
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The 2016 edition, which is the third since the inception of the awards, is on the theme: “Strengthening micro finance institutions to enhance the growth of rural and micro enterprises.”
At the launch in Accra, the President of IFEJ, Mr Lloyd Evans, said the essence of the annual awards was to recognise business and financial journalists and editors who had provided high quality coverage of the business and financial environment in Ghana in the year under review.
He said IFEJ had since its inception been training journalists to specialise in Business, Financial and Economic reporting, but the standard of reporting still lacks the import of analytical articles, accuracy, and well-researched information on relevant issues for public consumption, hence the need for the awards.
“IFEJ instituted the Flamingo Awards to serve as an additional conduit to raise awareness of the need for reliable, objective, analytical and comprehensive reporting on Ghanaian businesses,” he added.
The 2016 Awards
The awards, he said, are open to fully subscribed IFEJ members who are expected to submit entries across nine competitive categories.
The categories are Best Finance Feature/News story, Best Business/Manufacturing Feature/News story, Best Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Feature/News Story, Best Extractives Feature/News story and Best Agribusiness Feature/News story.
The rest are Best Tourism Feature/News story, Best Development Feature/News story, Best Rural Banking/Micro finance/Savings & Loans/Rural and Micro enterprises and Best Business of Health Feature.
He said all submissions must have been published in either print or online or broadcasted via radio or television during the year under review. The publication period spans from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016.
He added that completed entries must reach the offices of IFEJ through the Ghana International Press Centre by 5p.m. GMT on Friday, August 5, 2016.
The Overall Best Business and Financial Journalist, which is the Ultimate Award, will be given to any entrant who wins in the Best Rural Banking/Micro Finance/Savings & Loan/Rural And Micro Enterprises, which is category nine and any other category.
Enhancing business journalism
The Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), Mr Kwesi Gyan Apenteng, stressed the need for journalists to acquire the requisite training in this specialised area of reporting to be able to understand the issues and report on them.