THE SUN'S TOSIN AJIRIRE, NETA NWOSU, ATIM IKPEME NOMINATED
Three journalists from The Sun, Tosin Ajirire, Neta Nwosu and Atim Ikpeme have been nominated for the Nigerian Breweries Golden Pen Award 2010. The trio were nominated along other 12 journalists like Dele Alao, Taiwo Akintunde, Goddie Ofose, Oluwatosin Omoniyi, Raheem Akingbola, Uzochukwu Oto and Taiwo Akintunde.
Come Thursday, March 24, 2011, one of these journalists would ultimately emerge winner of the keenly contested award. While Ajirire and Ikpeme were nominated for their story, How Star Mega Jam Humbled R Kelly, Nwosu was nominated for her story, Sun Rise to Sun Set.
Alao of Nigerian Compass was nominated for his story Reality TV Show, Gulder and the Ultimate Man while Uzochukwu Oto of The Guardian was nominated for the story Brand Activation: A day at the Maltina Dance Academy.. Aknitunde of Thisday was nominated for the story The Other side of Ultimate Search while Ofose of Daily Independent got nominated for the story How NB Catalysis Star to Stardom.
Other nominations were for Newswatch's Omoniyi for the story Music Stars Gather and Akingbola of Thisday for the story As NB Rededicates 'Star' for Golden Jubilee Anniversary. All the nominees had their stories published between September and December 2010.
Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi, chairman, panel of judges of the three- year-old award, said the reports were short listed for their originality, news value, use of resources, credibility and factuality. Other criteria included info-graphics, layout/headline, clarity and social responsibility. According to him, the good quality of the reports reviewed by the panel this year showed that the media confirms the show of professionalism in today's reportage of events.
In the Photojournalist of the Year Award category, Kingston Daniel of Daily Champion, Segun Bakare of The Punch, Tunde Ogundeji of Nigerian Compass, and Bola Omilabu of The Nation made the list of nominees.
The Nigerian Breweries Golden Pen award was launched in 2009 as part of the company's corporate initiative to promote creativity in news reporting, and reward journalists who respect the tenets of good journalism
Apart from Ogunbiyi, others members of the award jury are Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye, a reknown professor of Mass Communication, Mrs. Nkechi Ali-Balogun, former Chairman of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), and a representative of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.
The winner of NB Golden Pen Reporter of the Year award is expected to go home with N500, 000 cash, an HP laptop computer and printer. The 1st runner-up would win N250, 000; HP laptop and printer while the third placed winner would go home with N200, 000, and HP laptop and printer.
The winner in the photo category would win N250, 000, HP laptop and printer while the second and third runners-up would go home with N150, 000, HP laptop and printer and N100, 000, HP laptop and printer respectively. There are five consolation prizes of LCD television sets for each category of the award.