The migration from print to online, while rapidly transforming the media space, has little bearing on the need for quality and authoritative content. Newspapers are still the most robust source of news, and this was clearly evident at this year’s Standard Bank Sikuvile Newspaper Journalism Awards: the calibre of the winners’ stories, photographs, designs and layouts was unsurpassed by other mediums, said the judges.
The South African story of the year, ‘Shoot to Kill: Inside a South African Police Death Squad’, written by Stefan Hofstatter, Mzilikazi Wa Afrika and Rob Rose of the Sunday Times, was deemed by the judging panel, convened by Paula Fray, to be exemplary of newspaper journalism. “The story, which also topped the Investigative Journalism section, set the standard for well-researched, well-written and tenacious journalism. The trio has always delivered high quality work despite working in often dangerous conditions – thus, they all won journalists of the year too,” said Fray.
Said the judges of the story of the year: “In a year of major stories – the e-toll saga, COP 17, political intrigue – the media challenge was not finding a story but telling that story well. The South African story remains varied and our challenge remains how to reflect the nuances of our society. In the story of the year, we sought quality journalism that reflected the South African “story” that represents our successes and challenges as a nation. Not only is ‘Shoot to kill: Inside a South African police death squad’ a fine example of investigative journalism achieved under difficult circumstances but also reveals societies underlying challenges and its silent heroes.”
The Allan Kirkland Soga Award went to Professor Guy Berger for his immeasurable contribution to the craft of journalism in this country and internationally.
These are the NEWSPAPER JOURNALISM WINNERS and comments for each category.
Hard news:
Angelique Serrao | “Gauteng tollroads” | The Star | WINNER |
The winning story, written in a succession of front-page leads, told the sorry story of the tolls, from government arrogance, to the final backing down. The reports had consequences; it was a real hard news story affecting everyone, well told. Congratulations to Angelique Serrao of The Star.
Analysis, commentary and background:
Mia Malan | “Abduction” | Mail & Guardian | WINNER |
The winning entrant, Mia Malan, dealt with the traditional practice of ukutwala, in which young girls are forced into marriage. She transformed what could have been an uninviting issue-based story into an engaging human interest story by sensitively foregrounding the experience of a teenager who was abducted.
Malan also thoughtfully supplemented the account of the teenager’s grandmother with a range of other voices (both for and against ukutwala as practised in their village). This approach made the story even more powerful and rendered any explicit commentary entirely superfluous.
Enterprise news:
Yolande Stander | “Death over the counter” | Weekend Post | WINNER |
The journalist stumbled upon a problem, in this instance the sale, by some pharmacies in the Eastern Cape, of potentially dangerous scheduled medication to minors without an accompanying prescription. She conducted a thorough investigation and follow-up which included the voice of several experts who provided context for the story. As a result of her work, the South African Pharmacy Council subsequently announced that it would launch an investigation that could potentially lead to pharmacies losing their licenses.
Feature Writing:
Hanlie Retief | “Melanie Steyn, My man die Sondag – verkragter” | Rapport | WINNER |
Hanlie Retief’s ‘My man, die Sondag verkragter’ marked a real departure for reportage on sexual violence and murder. Retief offers a very rare incite into the Sunday Rapist through the eyes of his wife. Retief takes an unfolding news story and approaches it from a unique angle, she allows the rapist’s spouse to speak, to sketch the normal backdrop to his heinous double life. She fills in big gaps in the public imagining of a man whose crimes captured a country. She does so without sensationalism or sentimentality. She hones her story with narrative skill and a command of her language.
Investigative journalism:
Stephan Hofstatter, Mzilikazi Wa Afrika and Rob Rose | “Shoot to kill: Inside a South African police death squad” | SUNDAY TIMES | WINNER |
The winning entry, ‘Shoot to kill: Inside a South African police death squad’ is a fine example of investigative journalism at its best. The exposé of the alleged murderous activities of an elite unit of the SAPS in KwaZulu-Natal is now the subject of a major court case involving a large number of policemen. Apart from well-researched details of the unit’s activities – under difficult circumstances – the journalists obtained damning and macabre pictorial evidence of the alleged perpetrators celebrating after a kill. The story has had repercussions both inside and outside court, which reverberated at high levels of authority in the ranks of the police and government.
Creative Journalism:
Tanya Pampalone | “Confessions of Walmart shopper” | Mail & Guardian | WINNER |
This year’s winner is Tanya Pampalone, writing in the Mail & Guardian about her confession being a Wal-Mart shopper. Had to go in disguise as she was abandoning her principles. Shame. But great writing, well done.
Editorial Cartoons:
Jonathan Shapiro | “Mac Maharaj side-order” | Mail & Guardian | WINNER |
The standard of editorial cartooning in this country improves every year. Most newspapers can count on having at least one sophisticated editorial cartoon in each edition. The major improvement has been to the quality of the draughtsmanship. The more difficult trick, making a sharp point while avoiding the obvious, is more elusive. For that reason, we have awarded first prize, yet again, to Jonathan Shapiro, for his still-unmatched ability to make barbed comment seem effortless. The winning cartoon manages to incorporate Mac Maharaj’s name into the MacDonald’s sign, make a pun on fries and lies, and get across Mac’s blithe insouciance about the whole affair.
Graphic journalism:
Jaco Grobbelaar | “South African’s global arms exports” | City Press & Rapport | WINNER |
Media24’s graphic design department overshadows this category with world-class work. The various Media24 newspapers provide generous space to infographics, often entire pages. The three winners all submitted examples of sophisticated and hugely ambitious work, making for a difficult choice. In the end the verdict went to one of Jaco Grobbelaar’s less complex graphics, which offered an instant understanding of where in the world South Africa sells its arms. Grobbelaar also submitted an astonishing wall poster guide to the Rugby World Cup containing hundreds of items, ranging from the fauna of New Zealand to the stadiums to the top players.
Popular Journalism:
Warda Salvester | “Little hands do devils’ work” | Daily Voice | WINNER |
The winning entry ‘Little hands do devils’ work’ by Warda Salvester in Daily Voice about children being recruited for a life in gangsterism, is a fine example of public interest tabloid journalism. In addition to the main article it carries important social tips and available resources for parents and community workers to deal with the problem. The piece was presented in an accessible manner and easy reading style.
News Photographs:
Simphiwe Nkwali | “Crawling” | Sunday Times | WINNER |
One image stood out – that by Simphiwe Nkwali – who captured a great news moment that tells the story of ordinary people driven to extreme measures after a decade and half of poor service delivery. The heavily armed policeman, seemingly unmoved by the man’s pain, reflects resident’s view of a government that has lost touch with its people. This entry was described by one judge as “world class, of a standard that any international newspaper would be happy to use on page one’.
Feature photographs:
Antoine de Ras | “The Long Road Home” | The Star | WINNER |
The hands-down winner in a strong category this year, Antoine de Ras’s highly evocative series of portraits of Bangladeshi refugees on a bus awaiting deportation to Tunisia was the first choice of all judges. The most beautiful work submitted this year. De Ras’s portraits of refugees leaving Libya are not only visually exquisite, but are powerful on several levels. In one we see the reflection of the sky and a quintessentially African tree in the window, the haunted sadness of the Bangladeshi man, who ironically looks Arabic, the white highlight on the left is almost a map of Libya, overlayed with a windowpane stained and scratched to look like driving rain beneath the blue of the sky. Altogether a series that stood out for every judge.
Sports Photographs:
Matthew Jordaan | “Super Steyn” | Cape Times | WINNER |
Matthew Jordaan’s perfect moment of Dale Steyn’s catch to dismiss Murali Vijay was a deserved winner. Although we see similar images throughout the year, Jordaan has managed to add an extra element in making Steyn’s catch appear effortless. The disbelief of the batsman is apparent as the umpire cranes for a better view of this great moment.
Presentation (Layout and Design):
Rudi Louw | “2011 The good, the bad and the great” | City Press | WINNER |
The winning design, a double page spread from Rudi Louw, was an excellent example of how to marry together large numbers of elements in an elegantly composed page that mastered complex typography and space, without feeling cramped or intimidating.
Online Reportage:
Nadine Theron/ Le Roux Schoeman / Werner Erasmus | “Matrieks in Margate” | Touchlab / Beeld / Die Burger – Media 24 | FINALIST |
The winner: ‘Matrieks in Margate’ (Nadine Theron, Le Roux Schoeman, Werner Erasmus) – Touchlab/Beeld/Die Burger – Media24 is a fly-on-the-wall documentary examining the “rite of passage” by the country’s matric students as they celebrate their new-found freedom. It was an interesting and often eye-opening account on the “class of 2011’s” prevailing views on key issues like alcohol, sex, money and morals.
This story spanned video, text and social media. It was a cross-platform story that was of an exceptional quality. The results also speak for themselves, the three videos produced achieved more than 200 000 views (that’s the monthly circulation of some newspapers) and the social media interactions achieved around 800 comments.
Online Multimedia:
Demelza Bush and Nickolaus Bauer | “Marching for Malema” | Mail & Guardian online | WINNER |
‘Marching for Malema’ written for the Mail & Guardian Online by Demelza Bush and Nickolaus Bauer – This is a video report by Mail & Guardian’s online reporters on the unfolding chaos and riots in inner city Johannesburg during the disciplinary hearing of controversial former ANCYL president Julius Malema. The Internet presents a convergence opportunity for newspapers, allowing them to present not only in text, but in audio and video too. Reporters can be multimedia storytellers, encompassing both text and video to take advantage of the Internet as an interactive medium. If a newspaper is to play in this space however, it should produce video and audio that is broadcast quality, applying the same high standards it apples to that of the written word. We felt the production quality, the content and the editing of this piece was broadcast quality and a model for other newspaper companies to follow. This entry won due to the high quality of the reportage. It was a gripping watch and added value to the mainly text-based coverage of the online edition and the newspaper.
LIST OF FINALISTS AND THOSE COMMENDED
Hard News FINALISTS and those COMMENDED:
Adriaan Basson | “Inside Heath’s World” | City Press | FINALIST |
Louise Flanagan | “92 million: Zuma’s political elite benefit” | The Star | FINALIST |
Boitumelo Tshehle | “Hunger Killed them” | Sowetan | COMMENDED |
Mpume Madlala | “Drug woman’s sister talks” | Daily News | COMMENDED |
Analysis, commentary and background FINALISTS and those COMMENDED:
John Yeld | “Cop 17” | Cape Argus | FINALIST |
Sam Sole | “Making Meaning” | Mail & Guardian | FINALIST |
Craig McKune | “Lease fleece” | Mail & Guardian | FINALIST |
Yusuf Omar | “Cope 17” | The Mercury | COMMENDED |
ENTERPRISE NEWS FINALISTS and those COMMENDED:
Sue Blaine | “Dismay as Department sits on FET results” | Business Day | FINALIST |
Lebogang Seale | “Raped by the justice system” | The Star | FINALIST |
City Press Team | “Size Matters” | City Press | COMMENDED |
City Press Team | “Phuza Nation” | City Press | COMMENDED |
Feature Writing FINALISTS and those COMMENDED:
Tanya Pampalone | “In a Dainfern state of mind” | Mail & Guardian | FINALIST |
Mia Malan | “Saved by township treatment” | Mail & Guardian | FINALIST |
Beauregard Tromp | “The weight of water” | The Star | FINALIST |
Mary Corrigall | “The silent war” | Sunday Independent | FINALIST |
Tanya Farber | “Corrective rape portrait of a survivor & perpetrator” | Cape Times | COMMENDED |
Jonathan Ancer | “Adventures of an AWOL Chequebook” | The Star / Cape Times | COMMENDED |
Investigative Journalism FINALISTS and those COMMENDED:
Adriaan Basson and Piet Rampedi | “Malema’s secret fund” | City Press | FINALIST |
Michael Kimberly and Msindisi Fengu | “Dead on Arrival” | Daily Dispatch | FINALIST |
Mzilikazi Wa Afrika and Stephan Hofstatter | “Shiceka: The One and Only” | Sunday Times | FINALIST |
Glynnis Underhill | “Godongwana and the missing union millions” | Mail & Guardian | COMMENDED |
Julian Rademeyer | “Bloedspoor na die ooste” | Beeld | COMMENDED |
Sam Sole and Stefaans Brummer | “The memo that sank the arms probe” | Mail & Guardian | COMMENDED |
Creative journalism FINALISTS and those COMMENDED
Jonathan Ancer | “Angry utterances” | Cape Times | FINALIST |
Murray la Vita | Various – “Tuin van aardse luste” | Die Burger | FINALIST |
Thomas Falkiner | “Kings of Fire” | Sunday Times | COMMENDED |
Helen Warne | “Monster Move” | Sunday Tribune | COMMENDED |
Editorial cartoons FINALISTS and those COMMENDED:
Themba Siwela | “Corruption cripples SA” | The Citizen | FINALIST |
Cuan Miles | Polar Bear – “chillin’ in Durbs” | Daily Dispatch | FINALIST |
Graphic journalism FINALISTS and those COMMENDED:
Rudi Louw | “U2 – Rock Revolusie” | Rapport / Graphics 24 | FINALIST |
Morne Schaap | “Die pil vir amper Alles” | Graphics 24 | FINALIST |
John McCann | “Mugabe Headlock” | Mail & Guardian | COMMENDED |
Popular journalism FINALISTS and those COMMENDED:
Prince Chauke | “Mbalula: My sex, my shame” | Sunday Sun | FINALIST |
Yolanda Barnard | “Mark Fish en die strippers” | Sondag | FINALIST |
News photographs FINALISTS and those COMMENDED:
Antoine de Ras | “Mogadishu Madness” | The Star | FINALIST |
Alon Skuy | “Desperate for aid – Stampede” | The Times | FINALIST |
Courtney Africa | “Congo Protest” | Cape Times | FINALIST |
Chris Collingridge | “The Great Divide” | The Star | COMMENDED |
James Oatway | “Wrong Place, Wrong Time” | Sunday Times | COMMENDED |
Feature photographs FINALISTS and those COMMENDED:
Alon Skuy | “Somalia Famine” | The Times | FINALIST |
Antoine de Ras | “The Long Road Home” | The Star | FINALIST |
James Oatway | “Land of Veils & War” Afghanistan | Sunday Times | COMMENDED |
Sports photographs FINALISTS and those COMMENDED:
Deaan Vivier | “Untitled” Butch James somersaults over Pat McCabe” | Rapport | FINALIST |
Theana Breugem | “Disabled Bowling” | Beeld | FINALIST |
Adrian de Kock | “Polo Pigeons” | The Star | FINALIST |
Denvor de Wee | “Watch it Dude” | City Press | COMMENDED |
Presentation FINALISTS and those COMMENDED:
Arlene Prinsloo | Various – “Tsunami” | Rapport | FINALIST |
Quincy Tsatsi & Robyn Comley | “Stampede” | The Times | FINALIST |
Online reportage FINALISTS and those COMMENDED:
Tegan Bedser | “I am Eastern Cape” | Daily Dispatch | FINALIST |
Tegan Bedser | “Exhuming the Truth” | Daily Dispatch | FINALIST |
Online multimedia FINALISTS and those COMMENDED:
Demelza Bush / Vuvu Vena | “Hillbrow – The danger some call home” | Mail & Guardian online | FINALIST |
Lauren Clifford Holmes and Kwanele Sosibo | “Farming for the Future” | Mail & Guardian | FINALIST |
The Standard Bank Sikuvile Newspaper Awards’ judging panel consists of: Paula Fray (Convenor), Tyrone August, David Wightman, Liesl Louw, Tumi Makgabo, Peter Sullivan, Mike Siluma, Henry Jeffreys, Juby Mayet, Irwin Manoim, Gail Smith, Matthew Buckland, and Robin Comley.
PHOTO: Stefan Hofstatter, Mzilikazi Wa Afrika and Rob Rose of the Sunday Times won story of the year for ‘Shoot to Kill: Inside a South African Police Death Squad’.