George Herald named best paid community newspaper in SA: Avbob FCJ Excellence Awards

GARDEN ROUTE | KAROO NEWS AND VIDEO - What a weekend! Group Editors returned home from the Avbob FCJ (Forum of Community Journalists) Excellence Awards with the most sought-after prizes for news coverage in 2024.

The winners were announced at a prize-giving dinner at the Protea Hotel Stellenbosch and Conference Centre, Techno Park, last Friday, 22 August. The adjudication process was overseen by Dr André Gouws of Akademia.

George Herald came out tops, named the best paid community newspaper in the country.

In fact, all five of Group Editors’ newspapers were ranked among the top 10 nationwide, with Suid-Kaap Forum taking the runner-up spot. The others include Knysna-Plett Herald (fifth), Oudtshoorn Courant (eighth) and Mossel Bay Advertiser (10th).

The top honours of journalist of the year went to the George Herald team: Lizette da Silva, Kristy Kolberg, Alida de Beer and Michelle Pienaar. In addition, the George Herald team also won the top writing categories for hard news and human interest.

George Herald journalist and news editor Kristy Kolberg walked away with top honours in two categories, winning the brand-new award for mobile photography as well as the coveted award for digital news reporting.

The George Herald team, with Lizette da Silva as editor and Ilse Schoonraad as digital head, secured the runner-up position in the digital category for their coverage of the building disaster, while Jeff Ayliffe of Group Editors achieved fourth place.

The award for best back page went to Suid-Kaap Forum, with George Herald taking fourth place. In the editorial comment category, Mossel Bay Advertiser editor Louise Karsten was named the runner-up. Knysna Plett Herald editor Wyndham Ewerts also secured a runner-up position for sport writing, while Hugo Redelinghuys, former editor of Suid-Kaap Forum, shared third place.

Full Results

Journalist of the Year

Winner: The George Herald Team — Lizette da Silva, Kristy Kolberg, Alida de Beer and Michelle Pienaar.

Best Paid Newspaper of the Year

1. George Herald
2. Suid-Kaap Forum
3. Knysna-Plett Herald (5th)
4. Oudtshoorn Courant (8th)
5. Mossel Bay Advertiser (10th)

Best Back Page

1. Suid-Kaap Forum
2. George Herald (4th)

Writing: Digital

1. Kristy Kolberg, George Herald
2. Lizette da Silva and team, George Herald
3. Jeff Ayliffe, Group Editors (4th)

Writing: Editorial Comment

• 2nd: Louise Karsten, Mossel Bay Advertiser

Writing: Hard News

1. Lizette da Silva and team, George Herald (Lizette da Silva, Michelle Pienaar, Kristy Kolberg and Alida de Beer)
2. Kristy Kolberg, George Herald (7th)
3. Alida de Beer, George Herald (8th)

Headlines

• 5th: Christiaan de Swardt, Suid-Kaap Forum

Writing: Human Interest

1. Lizette da Silva and team, George Herald (Alida de Beer, Kristy Kolberg, Michelle Pienaar, Jannie du Plessis)

Writing: Sport

• 2nd: Wyndham Ewerts, Knysna-Plett Herald
• 3rd: Hugo Redelinghuys, Suid-Kaap Forum, and Gerhard Rheeder, Middelburg Observer

Mobile Photography

1. Kristy Kolberg, George Herald

Sport Photography

• 6th: Hugo Redelinghuys, Suid-Kaap Forum