CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2012 Awards extends entry to February 22nd

CNN International and MultiChoice this week extended the deadline for submission of entries for the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2012 Awards to February 22, this year.
According to a statement availed to The Guardian  yesterday, over the past 17 years the competition has grown in size and status to become Africa's most prestigious media event.
The statement said the competition recognizes excellence in a number of categories, including Arts and Culture Award, Digital Journalism Award, The Coca-Cola Company Economics and Business Award, Environment Award, Free Press Africa Award, The HIV/AIDS Reporting Award, Mohamed Amin Photographic Award and MSD Health and Medical Award,
Other categories are Print General News Award, Radio General News Award, Sport Award, Television Features Award, Television News Bulletin Award, Tourism Award, Francophone General News Award and Portuguese Language General News Award.
Finalists in the 2012 competition will participate in a finalists' programme that will include a media forum and
networking opportunities with senior journalists, editors, business leaders and media owners from across the continent, culminating in the gala awards ceremony.
All finalists will receive a cash prize and each category winner will also receive a laptop and printer.  The CNN MultiChoice African Journalist of the Year 2012 will receive an additional cash prize and will have the opportunity to participate in the CNN Journalism Fellowship at CNN headquarters in Atlanta, in the US.
Sponsors of the awards include the African Development Bank; Coca-Cola Africa; Ecobank; Ericsson; IPP Media, Tanzania; Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD); SuperSport; Unicef and A24 Media.
The independent judging panel includes Ikechukwu Amaechi, editor, Daily Independent, Nigeria; Amadou Mahtar Ba, chief executive officer of African Media Initiative; Jean-Paul Gérouard, deputy editor-in-chief, France 3 TV; Ferial Haffajee, editor-in-chief, City Press, South Africa; Joel Kibazo, journalist and media consultant; Arlindo Lopes, general manager: Regulatory and Corporate, Angola and Mozambique, MultiChoice Africa Ltd; Zipporah Musau, managing editor, Magazines, The Standard Group Ltd, Kenya, and Kim Norgaard, CNN bureau chief, South Africa.
CNN's sports anchor Pedro Pinto will assist in the judging of the Portuguese General News category. The judging will take place in April 2012 and all entries should have been broadcast or published during January 2011 – December 2011.
The competition is open to African nationals who are professional journalists, including freelancers across print, television, internet, photographic and radio. To make the entry process more accessible to journalists across the continent, a new initiative this year is the introduction of the awards' online entry form.