Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) has closed its entries for the 2020 lsu Elihle Awards. Journalists from within the African continent were invited to submit their story ideas involving children. The applications closed at midnight on the 30th of June 2020.

The story ideas will be adjudicated by our distinguished panel of judges which include children and the top six finalists will be announced in August. The journalists behind these will each receive a guaranteed
financial support of ZAR 10 000. MMA will also offer support to the finalists to develop their concepts. Individual journalists must take sole responsibility to approach a media house and form an agreement to publish/broadcast with the media house in question should their story idea be selected as part of the top six.

The final stories will be ranked once they have been published or broadcast, and the final cash prizes will be awarded: ZAR 25 000 (Overall Winner); ZAR 15 000 (2nd place); ZAR 10 000 (Third Place).

MMA Director William Bird said,”As we deal with the global COVID-19 crisis we have seen how the importance of people having access to quality journalism has become increasingly essential in their daily lives. At the same time we are seeing news media facing an equal crisis of sustainability and fewer journalists. We also know that in a crisis it is the most vulnerable whose views and voices need to be heard and protected.

Around our continent it is children who are the most marginalized and yet their issues and stories that involve them have the greatest potential for change and to build societies that are just, fair and equitable. The lsu Elihle awards recognizes the difficult context and seek to reward journalists who have the best story ideas so that not only can we ensure quality journalism, we can develop as an essential service, but also ensure that stories about the most vulnerable and precious members of our society can be told”.

We would like to thank everyone who has applied, these awards have gained a huge traction across the African continent. We are thrilled this year to have received more than a hundred entries from 20 different countries around the continent.