NPL sweeps Misa Awards
Nation Publications Limited (NPL) on Saturday showed why it remains the best media house in the country, when it scooped 14 awards or 30 percent of all awards from the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) Malawi Chapter at a gala dinner in Mzuzu.
Times Group retained the Best Electronic Media House-Television while Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) maintained its grip on Best Electronic Media House-Radio category.
Apart from retaining its position as Print Media House of the Year and Best Electronic Media House-Online for its Nation Online (www.mwnation.com), NPL reporters shared 12 individual media awards.
With the 14 awards, it means NPL won 30.4 percent of all the awards, but in the print category, it scooped 66 percent of the accolades.
Individually, Bobby Kabango won two—the Investigative Journalist of the Year accolade and the Reporting Supply Chain of Essential Medicines medal.
Mzuzu Bureau supervisor Joseph Mwale collected two as well, as he was named the Business and Economics Journalist of the Year, but also the Lilongwe Water Board Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Journalist of the Year.
Lilongwe-based Clement Chinoko won the Sports Journalist of the Year accolade, while his colleague Suzgo Chitete bagged the Public Infrastructure Award.
Features editor James Chavula won the inaugural Health Governance Journalist of the Year Award, while Investigative journalist Rex Chikoko and news analyst Archibald Kasakura jointly won the maiden Anti-Corruption Journalist of the Year Award. Lilongwe-based investigative jounalist Golden Matonga retained the best blogger award, winning the Most Courageous Blogger accolade.
Albert Sharra—who resigned from NPL two months ago—capped it all, winning the Education Journalist award, Paediatric Journalist award and being named the overall winner.
The Misa awards add to numerous others which NPL has been winning this year, notably the Green Media and Sports Awards.
NPL’s head of sale and marketing McDonald Kadewa said the win was a vote of confidence in the institution.
“This is something that we have been looking forward to. Retaining the two Media House of the Year awards is a vote of confidence, it’s no mean achievement.
“The win also demonstrates team effort, mentoring processes, NPL’s sound editorial policy which compels us to be objective at all costs.
We will not stop here, we will endeavour to do more so that we continue giving our readers the best,” he said.
Speaking during the award ceremony, director of Information Gideon Munthali said expectation is growing that the media should come up with solutions to readers, listeners and viewers, means for exercising good judgment in the mass of information.
“So we have a collective responsibility to give Malawians critical instruments so that information is used in an informed way.
“Also, media accountability remains key. Journalists should, at all times, keep themselves within the frame of ethical guidelines to fulfill their public service responsibilities,” he said.
The award ceremony was part of commemorating the World Press Freedom Day, under the theme: Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation.
