The Institute of Maltese Journalists (IGM) recently launched the 16th edition of the annual press awards with more categories. As from this year, the Malta Journalism Awards will include three new categories:

• Overseas Assignments

• Broadcast Journalism – Radio

• Sports Photography

“Moreover, as from this edition, any individual or organisation may submit an application on behalf of a journalist. Editors may not only submit works by their respective journalists but also by other journalists. Through this innovation, the Malta Journalism Awards are being made accessible to everyone as anyone can now submit an application on his/her behalf if they are journalists, or on behalf of another journalist,” said IGM chairman Malcolm J. Naudi.

The number of categories has now increased to 12, namely:

Print categories

• Print Journalism – News – sponsored by HSBC Bank Malta plc

• Print Journalism – Features – sponsored by Vodafone Malta Ltd

• Photo Journalism – sponsored by The Farsons Foundation

Broadcast categories

• Broadcast Journalism – TV Script – sponsored by the Broadcasting Authority

• Broadcast Journalism – TV Film – sponsored by the Broadcasting Authority

• Broadcast Journalism – Radio (new category) – sponsored by the Broadcasting Authority

E-category

• E-Journalism – sponsored by Hewlett-Packard

General categories

• Overseas Assignments (new category) – sponsored by Emirates Airline

• Sports Journalism – sponsored by Michele Peresso Limited, operators of Eurosport

• Sports Photography – sponsored by the Malta International Airport

• Cultural Journalism – sponsored by Malta Tourism Authority

• Press Cartoons (every three years)

• Best use of Maltese Language in Journalism

This year’s edition of the Gold Award is being sponsored by Fondazzjoni Tumas Fenech ghall-Edukazzjoni fil-Gurnalizmu.

Malta Journalism Awards Commission

Earlier this year, the Institute appointed an ad hoc commission to examine the last edition of the Malta Journalism Awards and to propose new ideas. The commission, composed of Mr Charles Xuereb, Dr Carmen Sammut, and Mr Carmel Bonello as chairman, submitted its detailed report to the institute. The report recommended a number of changes in both regulations and administration of the press awards, a number of which have been accepted by the institute’s council.

Overseas Assignments (new category)

This category will give due recognition to those journalists who strive, sometimes against great odds, to cover news stories abroad. This is a relatively new genre of Maltese journalism that needs to be encouraged both to further sharpen the respective journalist’s professional skills as well as, equally importantly, to present foreign news from a Maltese perspective.

Broadcast Journalism – Radio (new category)

In past editions, there used to be a Radio Journalism category, which the council had decided to close following a low-level participation. In recent months, the institute received a number of requests from radio journalists to re-open this category. The institute believes that radio journalism ought to be given its own importance in the Maltese media scenario.

Broadcast Journalism – TV categories

The previous Broadcast Journalism category has now been subdivided into three categories to recognise the individual merits of the TV journalist, the TV news cameraman and the radio journalist.

Press Cartoons Category (every three years)

As participation in the Press Cartoons category was repeatedly low in recent years, the IGM Council decided to start holding this event on a triennial basis, with the next edition of this category being held in 2008, covering the years 2005, 2006 and 2007.

However, being a non-competing category, caricaturists or their editors may submit up to 15 caricatures per caricaturist to be considered for an annual publication to be released next year.

Sports Journalism

In the General categories, the Sports Journalism category was always very popular. Indeed last year, the participation in this category was one of the highest and consequently the council is looking for continued success in this category.

Sports Photography

Meantime, in order to meet a request by a substantial number of sports photographers and to encourage photographers to submit photographs of sports events, this year the council is introducing the Sports Photography category. Since a photograph can sometimes stand on its own, entries in this category, adequately captioned, can be submitted by the photographer irrespective of any accompanying story. This new category is being sponsored by Malta International Airport.

Prizes

The first three classified in each category will receive a certificate.

The winner of the first 10 categories will each be awarded:

• a cash prize of Lm150

• a voucher sponsored by Michele Peresso, operators of Eurosport, for Sports Journalism

• the Malta Journalism Awards trophy for the respective category

The winner of the special category entitled Il-Lingwa Nazzjonali fil-Gurnalizmu will be presented with the Malta Journalism Award trophy for that category.

Presentation ceremony

The winners will be announced at a presentation ceremony to be held in November 2006 at the Audiovision Studios in Hamrun, courtesy of BPC International.

All Maltese journalists may participate in the Malta Journalism Awards, irrespective of whether they are IGM members or not.

All entries – whether in Maltese or in English – must have been published or broadcast in Malta between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2005.

Submissions by editors and other organisations

Apart from the journalist himself/herself, editors and heads of news departments may select and submit entries of what they consider to be the best work of any individual journalist/s.

Submissions can also be forwarded by organisations, corporations and bodies. In both cases, consent has to be given by the individual journalist/s concerned by filling the appropriate part on the official application form prior to submission of entry by the editor, the head of news department, or organisations/corporations/bodies.

Closing date

Submissions will be received at the offices of the Institute of Maltese Journalists, 104, Old Mint Street, Valletta, on Tuesday 1 August 2006 between 6pm and 7.30pm. Non-members have to pay a participation fee with the submission.

“An overall marked improvement has been noted over the years in the submissions for the Print Journalism, Press Photography and Sport Journalism categories.

These categories have now become showcases of the good standard being achieved by Maltese journalists,” said the Institute’s general secretary, Joe A. Vella.

This year, he will again be assisted by Mr Carmel Bonello as project director in the organisation of the Malta Journalism Awards.

Regulations and applications may be obtained either by phoning Mr Vella 2131-6958/9945-0746 or

Mr Bonello on 2124-3212, or from the website: www.maltapressclub. org.mt.