SUVA (USP / Pacific Media Watch): The University of the South Pacific regional journalism programme has added more awards to its collection.
All four winners of a regional award in Environmental Journalism are USP journalism alumni, according to a media release from USP dated 23 April 2010.
The award is part of the media outreach by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). It encourages partnerships with Pacific media to help strengthen their role in raising awareness in sustainable environment concerns.
The winners of the first Vision Pasifika: Climate Change Media Awards are: Rachna Lal and Kalpana Prasad – Winners, Student Category Story: "Coral reef destruction continues unabated”, published in Wansolwara, USP’s journalism newspaper.
Kalpana Prasad, 22, graduated with a BA in journalism and tourism studies in April. She works as the community media officer at FemLINKPACIFIC. Kalpana has received numerous awards for articles published in Wansolwara.
Rachna Lal, 22, graduated with a BA in journalism and literature, also in April. She works with Fijilive. She represented USP journalism at the AIBDS Conference in Denarau, Fiji. She was also selected to take part in the SPREP Climate Change Media Training in September 2009, and was part of the Pacific Communications team at COP 15 in Denmark.
Anish Chand (Fiji) – Winner, Television and the Best Overall Category: Story: "Pacific Politics and Climate Change”. Chand was the team leader news at Fiji Television, with 13 Journalists working under his supervision. He has been associated with Fiji TV since 2003. He holds a Diploma in Journalism from USP.
Moffat Mamu (Solomon Islands) – Winner, Print Category: Story: “Chance” printed in the Solomon Star. Moffat is a business reporter with the Solomon Star. He has been a full time reporter since graduating in 2004 with a BA in journalism and history/politics. His work was recognised by the Asian Development Bank Institute, a sister organisation of the Asian Development Bank, which saw him win an award on ‘Climate Change’.
Over 30 news items were entered for judging before a panel consisting of a member from the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA), WWF South Pacific Programme and SPREP. Winning entries received US$500 each.
Espen Ronneberg, SPREP’s climate change adviser says, “I think all the entries were good in their own rights but since it was a competition, we needed to pick the best entries”.
Nanette Woonton, SPREP’s associate media and publications officer said the agency was "really pleased" with both the calibre of submissions, as well as the amount of entries received.
The Divisional head of USP Journalism Shailendra Singh commended the award winners for their service to society through their reporting. He also praised the organisers of the award saying, “This is a good incentive for journalists, including those who are still in school”.
He added: “It is also a go example of collaboration between regional agencies to promote youth and the environment ay the same time”.
Recently two USP student journalists received a high commendation from the Journalism Education Association of Australia (JEAA).
Second year Journalism students Arin Kumar and Fenton Lutunatabua, received the runner-up prize for their investigative story published in Wansolwara in April 2009.
Wansolwara also has won the most Ossie awards of any publication in Australia, NZ or the Pacific (10), plus it scooped the pool in 2000 with the online and print coverage of the George Speight coup.
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