Several TV journalism winners in the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2013.

There were several TV reporters across Africa who won in the series of tightly contested categories in the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2013 which took place in Cape Town, South Africa on Saturday evening - with television stories ranging from public toilets in Ghana, to that of an orphaned Sierra Leone girl who is now a ballerina dancer in South Africa.

The CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2013 was presented by Isha Sesay of CNN International (DStv 401) for her 5th consecutive time, as well as Macfarlane Moleli who left eNCA (DStv 403) earlier this year for Khaya FM.

Unlike eNCA and e.tv in the past, the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2013 will this year be broadcast on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) on 24 October at 21:30 (58 mins.) and on M-Net (DStv 101) on 29 October at 09:30 (24 mins.).

"The media is a central part of any nation," said Collins Khumalo, CEO of MultiChoice South Africa, who encouraged journalist across Africa to keep telling their stories.

Nico Meyer, the CEO of MultiChoice Africa told journalists that "without your hard work and perseverance, the development of the media across Africa would not be possible."

"One of my biggest concerns over the years has been the safety and security of our people," said Parisa Khosravi, who was appointed last month as senior vice president of global relations at CNN International and the 24-hour TV news channel's new global brand ambassador."

"I'm deeply in awe of those who risk their own safety to bring important news to their audiences by giving voice to the voiceless and shedding light on oppression and injustice."

"In my new expanded role as the first ever global ambassador for CNN I have further opportunity to uphold our founder Ted Turner's vision to ensure that our global village has a better understanding of itself," she said.

"We look forward to bringing our award-winning programming to your homes with the help of MultiChoice for many years to come. These awards are one of the ways we help promote the highest form of journalistic standards and press freedom around the world," said Parisa Khosravi.

South Africa's Nicola de Chaud won for her TV story for Carte Blanche on M-Net in the Culture Awards category about Michaela de Prince, a Sierra Leone war orphan who is now a ballerina dancer in South Africa.

Mauritius' Axcel Micael Chenney won for a French Teleplus story in the French general news category about a fallen hero involving drugs, politics, sports and money.

Mozambique's Selma Onocencia won in the Portuguese general news category for a TV story for Rede de Comunicacao Miramar about animal cruelty.

Kenya's Roseline Wangui Wanyiri won in the category for Best Television Feature. Her story which was broadcast on NTV was about "beads women", young women sexually exploited when they're taken by men as "temporary wives".

Ghana's Gifty Andoh Appiah won for her TV story in the Best Television News Bulletin category which was broadcast on Joy News Channel in Ghana over the shocking condition of public toilets in that country.

TV journalists commended for their work include Susan Comrie and Joy Summers for Carte Blanche in South Africa; Robyn Kriel and Orto Sori of eSat and eNCA in Kenya; Judy Jeptum Kosgei and Mauritius Odour of Citizen TV in Kenya; and Amon Ngabo of the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation in Uganda.


ALSO READ: Multi-faceted journalism needed from Africa's journalists who need to keep the bigger picture in mind, says the continent's media experts.

Multi-faceted journalism needed from Africa's journalists who need to keep the bigger picture in mind, says the continent's media experts.

The need for multi-faceted journalism and story telling about Africa - not "just" so-called sunshine journalism and not "just" corruption, poverty and doom and gloom - is what is needed from journalists across the continent to help Africa move forward, said media bosses and experts talking at the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2013 media forum.

Speaking at a CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2013 media forum held on Robben Island in Cape Town and attended by hundreds of journalists from across Africa, media bosses from across the continent also implored journalists to keep the bigger picture in mind.

They asked journalists to write, broadcast and tell stories which helps to explains to a tea grower in Zambia why unrest in Egypt is important - because Zambian tea is sold Egypt and that what happens in one country in Africa has an impact on other countries.

"We need to maintain multi-faceted story telling," said panelist Kim Norgaard, CNN's African bureaux chief. "We [CNN International] are able to cover awful things like the Westgate terror attack in Kenya but we've made the commitment to also tell all the other stories about Africa. We have to keep in mind and make a commitment as African journalists that we have many roles and musn't stop telling our stories," he said.

Kim Norgaard said Africa has major issues and the stories need to be told. "There needs to be a commitment to look beyond borders".

Angela Quintal, editor of the Mail & Guardian newspaper in South Africa and also one of the 4 person panel, said "sunshine journalism" - the term for mostly overtly positive stories with a less critical slant - has a place. "It's an issue of empowering people and showing that there's also good being done. Not 'sunshine journalism' but showing that there is something more in a country, going beyond stories of just corruption and crime."

Angela Quintal said that she was disappointed when she looked at South Africa's three 24-hour TV news channels - SABC News (DStv 404), ANN7 (DStv 405) and eNCA (DStv 403) during the Westgate tragedy and how bad and non-existent the coverage was.

She said she had to turn to international TV news channels and CNN to get first-hand reporting and information as to what was happening during the terror drama which played out in Kenya a few weeks ago.

Panelist Debo Adesina, the editor-in-chief of The Guardian in Nigeria said African journalists and African media houses and publications' goal should be "how can we use what we have now to make Nigerian stories for instance relevant to Ugandans. Bigger collaboration is needed between media houses across Africa. News collaboration would do a lot to help tell better stories about Africa," he said.

"Every week I hope to contribute in not just changing the world's perception about Africa, but Africa's perception about itself," said Kim Norgaard.

"A free press in the African continent is hard fought for. We need to hold people accountable. It's up to all of us. In many ways we need to stop and also be proud of what the continent has created in the last 15 years. We have a vibrant, independent media. Sure we have problems on the continent, but we have a great group of journalists covering this continent," said Kim Norgaard.


ALSO READ: Several TV journalism winners in the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2013.