By Ndey Sowe
The Gambia Press Union (GPU) Awards Committee unveiled detailed plans for the 2024 National Journalism Awards at a press conference held on Tuesday, 10th September. The event, considered the highest form of recognition for journalistic excellence in The Gambia, highlights outstanding work across various media platforms, including print, radio, television, online, and photography.
The 2024 awards ceremony will feature 15 distinct categories, excluding special awards, aimed at honoring the contributions of Gambian journalists. The categories are as follows:
Business and Finance Reporting
Sports Reporting
Environment Reporting
Investigative Reporting
Health and Medical Reporting
Women’s Reporting
Children’s Reporting
Tourism, Culture, Arts, and Entertainment Reporting
Agricultural Reporting
Political Reporting
Human Rights Reporting
Legal Affairs Reporting
Photojournalism
Security Reporting
Tax Reporting
In addition to these categories, several prestigious awards, such as Journalist of the Year, Community Radio of the Year, Radio Station of the Year, TV Station of the Year, Online Platform of the Year, and Newspaper of the Year, will be determined through public voting.
The awards are open to all Gambian journalists working with registered Gambian media outlets or international media platforms. To qualify, submissions must consist of stories published between 1st January 2023 and 31st December 2023. However, opinion pieces, advertorials, promotional content, and newsletter articles are ineligible for submission.
Isatou Keita, Chairperson of the Awards Committee, announced that applications for the 2024 awards will be open from 16th September to 16th October. She encouraged participants to follow GPU’s official social media channels for updates.
“The awards committee is in the process of confirming a panel of judges consisting of independent media experts with impeccable integrity. Their biographies will be published on our website shortly,” Ms. Keita revealed.
She further explained that the judges would assess submissions based on criteria such as accuracy, relevance, grammar, style, story impact, creativity, and originality. Ms. Keita assured that the judging process would be entirely independent, free from external influence, ensuring fairness.
Since 2016, the GPU has hosted the National Journalism Awards as part of its core mission to elevate professional standards within The Gambia’s media landscape. This initiative is designed to inspire journalists to pursue excellence in their respective fields. The awards ceremony is traditionally linked to World Press Freedom Day, observed annually on 3rd May. However, due to logistical challenges, the event is often held on alternative dates, with the 2024 edition scheduled for 7th December.
The 2024 National Journalism Awards is poised to once again showcase the talents of Gambian journalists, furthering the cause of press freedom and excellence in reporting across the country
