According to Poynter the aims of the project include to “develop a resource that documents those journalists, institutions, events, works, documents and technologies that have made an impact on journalism”.
Haffajee was nominated by Llewellyn Kriel, senior revise sub-editor of Sowetan who was fired after blogging about his employer on Mail & Guardian‘s group blog Thoughtleader.
Kriel is awaiting the outcome of his appeal against a disciplinary hearing’s findings that led to his dismissal.
“My contract has been rolled over another month (January) though the suspension is still in effect,” he told TheMediaOnline.
Kriel said Haffajee is the archetypal modern working woman and “a damned fine journalist to boot”.
His nomination for Poynter’s Seven Wonders project reads: “Not only is Ferial the first woman editor of one of Africa’s most influential and courageous newspapers … she has shattered the glass ceiling with humility, independence, steadfastness, compassion and consummate professionalism. She champions the rights of journalists “ without all the normal tawdry stereotypes.”
The list of nominees will, according to Poynter’s website, be narrowed down by a panel of judges.
Other nominees include the Wall Street Journal‘s Daniel Pearl, who was murdered in Pakistan in 2002, TV journalist Tom Brokaw and Truman Capote, the author of In Cold Blood.
