NPC Reg. No. 2016/039014/08
26 June 2017
PRESS RELEASE: ANNUAL LOCAL MEDIA EXCELLENCE AWARDS
The local print media’s star shone brightly on Friday 23 June 2017 at the annual FCJ
Excellence Awards for 2016 held at Leriba Hotel and Spa in Centurion.
At the FCJ Excellence Awards local and community newspapers from all over the country,
big or small, corporate owned or not, compete against each other to award the best of the
best in South Africa. They were honoured for work produced in 2016.
In the judges’ report they state the following: “On the whole the standard of this year’s
photography entries in the various categories was of a high standard with the judges
especially impressed with the sport category submissions.”
“As for the writing categories, overall the judges were impressed by what local media
journalists present to their communities. The paid newspapers offer great value for money
to their readers. The free newspapers are delightful bonuses. The local media is clearly in
the forefront of informing (and entertaining) the communities they serve.”
Here is the complete list of winners:
PHOTOGRAPHY
Best General Photograph
Top 10: 10: Adele Louw, Carltonville Herald; 9: Samantha Traill, Witbank News; 8:
Samantha Lee, People’s Post; 7: Angelo Julies, Standard; 6: Zita Goldswain, Witbank
News; 5: Carina Roux, TygerBurger; 4: Trevor Aingworth, Witbank News.
Third: Selogile Leshage, Potchefstroom Herald; second: Elsje Vermeulen,
Vaalweekblad/Ster and first: Joe Dreyer, Bulletin.
Board of Directors
Marita Meyer – Executive Director, Ben Burger – Deputy Executive Director,
Graeme Campbell, Hugo Redelinghuys, Tobie van den Bergh, Hennie Stander, Isabel Venter,
Page 2
Best Sport Photograph
Top 10: 10: Zita Goldswain, Witbank News; 9: Stehan Schoeman, TygerBurger; 8:
Ettienne van Rensburg, Vaalweekblad; 7: Zita Goldswain, Witbank News; 6: Hugo
Redelinghuys, George Herald; 5: Isabel Venter, Zoutpansberger; 4: Ettienne van
Rensburg, Vaalweekblad.
Third: Carina Roux, TygerBurger; second: Hugo Redelinghuys, George Herald and first:
Trevor Aingworth, Witbank News.
Best News Photograph
Top 10: 10: Adele Louw, Carltonville Herald; 9: Monique Duval, TygerBurger; 8: Trevor
Aingworth, Witbank News; 7: Jannie du Plessis, Vaalweekblad; 6: Ettienne van Rensburg,
Vaalweekblad; 5: Ettienne van Rensburg, Vaalweekblad; 4: Daleen Naude, Middelburg
Observer.
Third: Chrisune Vermeulen, Witbank News; second: Zita Goldswain, Witbank News and
first: Samantha Traill, Witbank News.
Photographer of the Year
Top 10: 10: Ettienne van Rensburg, Vaalweekblad; 9: Samantha Traill, Witbank News; 8:
Isabel Venter, Zoutpansberger; 7: Daleen Naude, Middelburg Observer; 6: Schalk le Roux,
Vaalweekblad; 5: Trevor Aingworth, Witbank News; 4: Joe Dreyer, Bulletin.
Third: Jana Boshoff, Middelburg Observer; second: Carina Roux, TygerBurger and first:
Zita Goldswain, Witbank News.
DIGITAL
Digital Journalist of the Year
Third: Jannie du Plessis, Vaalweekblad; second: Heléne Eloff, Lowvelder and first: Jana
Boshoff, Middelburg Observer.
WRITING
Editorial Comment
Top 8: Lize Beyers, Paarl Post; Tasmin Cupido, District Mail; Retha Fitchat, Vaalweekblad;
Danie Keet, Eikestadnuus; Gerhard Rheeder, Middelburg Observer; Hennie Stander,
Potchefstroom Herald; Tobie van der Bergh, Middelburg Observer and Raymond
Willemse, Eikestadnuus.
Third: Retha Fitchat, Vaalweekblad; second: Danie Keet, Eikestadnuus and first: Lize
Beyers, Paarl Post.
Page 3
Headlines
Top 7: Mark Kinnear, Lowvelder; Schalk le Roux, Vaalweekblad; Heléne Meissenheimer,
Weslander; Daleen Naudé, Middelburg Observer; Carina Roux, TygerBurger and
Marianke Saayman, Potchefstroom Herald.
Third: Heléne Meissenheimer, Weslander; second: Schalk le Roux, Vaalweekblad but no
first prize awarded.
Columns
Top 9: Dawie Boonzaaier, Weslander; Jana Boshoff, Middelburg Observer; Jan-Hendrik
Coetzer, Hermanus Times; Zita Goldswain, Witbank News; Hilderine Schröder,
Breederivier Gazette; Maryke Swart, Paarl Post; Tobie van der Bergh, Middelburg
Observer; Janine van der Riet-Neethling, Hermanus Times and Riaan van Zyl, Roodepoort
Record.
Third: Jana Boshoff, Middelburg Observer; second: Riaan van Zyl, Roodepoort Record
and first: Jan-Hendrik Coetzer, Hermanus Times.
Sport
Top 10: Dawie Boonzaaier, Weslander; Johann Gresse, Middelburg Observer; Mark
Kinnear, Lowvelder; Solly Maseko, Witbank News; Wouter Pienaar, Potchefstroom Herald;
Hugo Redelinghuys, George Herald; Stehan Schoeman, TygerBurger; Samantha Traill,
Witbank News; Ettienne van Rensburg, Vaalweekblad and Raymond Willemse,
Eikestadnuus.
Third: Dawie Boonzaaier, Weslander; second: Wouter Pienaar, Potchefstroom Herald and
first: Hugo Redelinghuys, George Herald.
Human Interest
Top 10:Jamey Gordon; District Mail; Summer Jacobs, Tabletalk; Tiyese Jeranji, Peoples’s
Post; Selogile Leshage, Potchefstroom Herald; Daleen Naudé, Middelburg Observer;
Richard Roberts, TygerBurger; Desirée Rorke, TygerBurger; Marianke Saayman,
Potchefstroom Herald; Andries van Zyl, Zoupansberger and Karen Watkins,
Constantiaberg Bulletin.
Third: Summer Jacobs, Tabletalk; second: Daleen Naudé, Middelburg Observer and first:
Desirée Rorke, TygerBurger.
Hard News
Top 10: Hazel Allies-Husselman, Athlone News; Nicole McCain, People’s Post; Heléne
Meissenheimer, Weslander; Daleen Naudé, Middelburg Observer; Gerhard Rheeder,
Middelburg Observer; Janine van der Riet-Neethling, Hermanus Times; Ronel van
Jaarsveld, Die Pos; Andries van Zyl, Zoutpansberger; Isabel Venter, Zoutpansberger and
Dustin Wetdewich, Potchefstroom Herald.
Page 4
Joint third: Ronel van Jaarsveld, Die Pos and Isabel Venter, Zoutpansberger; second
Gerhard Rheeder, Middelburg Observer and first: Daleen Naudé, Middelburg Observer.
Investigative Reporting
Top 5: Joe Dreyer, Bulletin; John Harvey, Southern Suburbs Tatler; Daleen Naudé,
Middelburg Observer; Richard Roberts, TygerBurger and Dustin Wetdewich,
Potchefstroom Herald.
Joint second: Joe Dreyer, Bulletin, for his story on the sinkholes in George’s Valley, and
John Harvey, Southern Suburbs Tatler for his story on unsafe playgrounds in Rondebosch,
and first: Daleen Naudé, Middelburg Observer.
Alet Roux Award (for the best newcomer, a journalist with less than three years’
experience)
Top 5: Helene Eloff, Lowvelder; Philippa Francis, Lowvelder; Samantha Lee, People’s
Post; Carina Roux, TygerBurger and Marianke Saayman, Potchefstroom Herald.
Joint winners: Helene Eloff, Lowvelder and Philippa Francis, Lowvelder.
Journalist of the Year
Top 10: Trish Goosen, Weslander; Tiyese Jeranji, People’s Post; Heléne Meissenheimer,
Weslander; Daleen Naudé, Middelburg Observer; Kaylynn Palm, Plainsman; Elize Parker,
Lowvelder; Hilderine Schröder, Breederivier Gazette; Janine van der Riet-Neethling,
Hermanus Times; Andries van Zyl, Zoutpansberger; and Karen Watkins, Constantiaberg
Bulletin.
Third: Elize Parker, Lowvelder; second: Andries van Zyl, Zoutpansberger and first: Daleen
Naudé, Middelburg Observer.
FRONT PAGES
Community Media / Grassroots Newspapers
Second: Greater Alex Today and first: Bulletin.
Independent Commercial Newspapers
Second: Limpopo Mirror and first: Zoutpansberger.
Corporate Owned Free Newspapers
Third: City Vision; second: TygerBurger and first: People’s Post.
Page 5
Corporate Owned Paid Newspapers
Third: Lowvelder; second: Weslander and first: Paarl Post.
NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR
Community Media / Grassroots Newspapers
First: Bulletin.
Independent Commercial Newspapers
Second: Limpopo Mirror and first: Zoutpansberger.
Corporate Owned Free Newspapers
Third: Tabletalk; second: People’s Post and first: TygerBurger.
Corporate Owned Paid Newspapers, circulation less than 10 000
Third: Eikestadnuus; second: Potchefstroom Herald and first: District Mail.
Corporate Owned Paid Newspapers, circulation more than 10 000
Third: Weslander; second: Paarl Post and first: Lowvelder
-End
_______________________________________________________________
Press release prepared by Ben Burger, Deputy Executive Director
[email protected]
021 910 6617
About the FCJ:
The FCJ (Forum of Community Journalists) is an independent, non-racial, voluntary non-profit company
striving to promote and express the interests of all journalists employed on a permanent or freelance basis at
regional community newspapers, magazines and online community publications in South Africa.