Media Career Development (MCD) Diary (14) July 22, 2014 NO MEDIA AWARD IS TOO SMALL Late last year, a Christian media group I belonged to organized an award for innovative young journalists in the country. By the standard of other major media awards, ours could be rightly classified as small, if not “tiny.” Call for entries was not published in any newspaper. The announcement was through Facebook and emails. We had only about ten entries. Reports of the award ceremony got some mention in a few newspapers. I am sure most journalists in the country were not aware of it. However, shortly after the programme, the winner of the award was contacted by a major international broadcasting organisation and offered a freelance job which she did not apply for. If the winner had considered the award too small, she may not have caught the attention of the organisation that contacted her. I also know of a South African organisation that was convinced about hiring a Nigerian cartoonist when it learnt that he had won a media award by a Non Governmental Organisation. Applicants who are award winners, no matter how small the awards, have an advantage over those whose work have not been assessed in any competitive process. Sometimes, its like two people applying for visa with a virgin passport and another with stamped visas. Stamped passports give embassy officials an indication that you can be trusted to return from where you are applying to travel to unlike the person who is traveling for the first time. Like I noted in a previous piece, winning awards is not the ultimate proof of being the best journalist, but awards go can give a journalist the deserved recognition and consideration at some crucial time in his or her career. Please share with me and other readers what benefits you have derived from participating and winning media awards. NB: I appreciate all who have been reading, sharing, liking and responding to the previous editions of this dairy. Lekan Otufodunrin Email: [email protected] /Telephone: 08023000621 /Twitter: @lotufodunrin /Skype: lekanskype Website: mediacareerng.org AWARD ANNOUNCEMENT The DAME (Diamond Awards for Media Excellence) has called for print journalism entries for its 23rd edition. All entries are to be submitted on or before Friday, the 8th of August, 2014 in triplicate to: DAME Secretariat at 9, James Robertson Street, Surulere, Lagos and the Nigerian Press Council Office at 26, Bissau Street, Wuse Zone 6, Abuja. The awards are for works done and published in 2013.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 13:24:35 +0000
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