The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers – WAN-IFRA has announced the launch of nominations for the 2019 Women in News Editorial Leadership Award. The award recognizes an exemplary contribution of an editor to her newsroom and under her leadership, the contribution of her newspaper to society. One outstanding editor from sub-Saharan Africa and one from Middle East and North Africa will be named as laureates in 2019.
The Women in News Editorial Leadership Award will be awarded to two outstanding woman editors who are the first amongst their peers in inspiring and paving the way forward for the next generation of leaders. To qualify, the winners must possess a proven track record of success within her newsroom, have demonstrated uncompromising editorial integrity throughout her career, and have a strong commitment to the principles of press freedom and its power to promote democracy and good governance.
The closing date for the nominations is 18 March 2019.
In 2018, the award was given to Noura al Hourani, lead Arabic editor at Syria Direct and Barbara Kaija, group editor-in-chief of New Vision Press and Publishing Company Ltd. in Uganda.
“This acknowledgement by WAN-IFRA is recognition for all women in the media in Africa. My win is a win for all women in the newsrooms at Vision Group and all women in the media in Uganda. I am humbled to join the few women laureates in newsrooms in Africa and I pray that this will grow into a large army and large voice for the voiceless in our society,” said Kaija.
On being named a winner, al Hourani said, “Today, we must strive to empower women at all levels and ensure that they are properly represented in leadership roles – politically and professionally, especially in the Middle East. I am incredibly grateful to Syria Direct for providing me with my first opportunity to lead, and I want to thank WAN-Ifra for your support and encouragement for women to be role models.”
Past winners of the award include Karima Kamal, columnist and contributing editor at Al Masry Al Youm in Egypt, Kenyan journalist Pamella Makotsi Sittoni, managing editor at the Daily Nation, as well as Nigerian journalist Oluwatoyosi Ogunseye, head of West Africa, BBC.
The 2019 recipients of the Women in News Leadership Award will be honored during the WAN-IFRA News Media Congress in Glasgow, United Kingdom, from 1-3 June 2019. The winner will receive an all expenses paid trip to attend the World News Media Congress 2019, the premier global annual meeting of the world’s press.
An eligible nominee for Women in News Editorial Leadership Award 2019 must be based in the sub-Saharan region of Africa or the Middle East and North African region. The person must hold a senior editorial role as of 1 January 2019. She must have worked in a news media role (newspapers, magazines and digital-only). The media house can be of any size from across the regions. Anyone is free to nominate a potential candidate from their markets or from other markets. However, it is strongly recommended that nominations are made by superiors, peers or colleagues in order to maintain the integrity of the nominations.
For more information, visit http://womeninnews.org/faq
