Guyana Times and Evening News won six journalism awards last Saturday at the annual Guyana Press Association (GPA) Awards ceremony, which was held at the Pegasus Hotel.
The GPA recognised journalists, photographers and videographers for their work in areas such as sports, agriculture, business, politics, environment, human rights, finance, and arts and culture, among others.
Three journalists from Guyana Times and Evening News were among the winners.
Lakhram Bhagirat, a journalist with Guyana Times, won third for best newspaper feature and second for his story on arts and culture.
Utamu Belle, Guyana Times’ correspondent from Linden, Region 10 (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), copped two third places in the business and arts and culture categories.
Devina Samaroo won second place for best television feature for a story aired on Evening News/Television Guyana Inc (TVG).
She also came in second for best online feature and first for best article highlighting LGBT rights for stories she produced whilst a journalist in another section of the media.
Richard Jagdeo, a videographer, came in third for the best news videography award for his work done at TVG.
For this year’s awards, there were 18 categories, however, one was eventually dropped due to the poor quality of entries submitted.
Some 35 journalists entered the competition with almost 260 entries in total.
There was an underwhelming participation in the sports categories.
The most prestigious award of the evening for the young journalist of the year went to 19-year-old Vishani Ragobeer of the State newspaper.
Judging was done by Reuters photographer Andrea, Desilva, Australian journalist and author James Massola, now living in Indonesia, Argentine journalist Nicolas Luca, UWI lecturer and communications consultant Steffon Campbell, Honorary Guyanese and Trinidad journalist Wesley Gibbings, Barbadian journalist and radio veteran Julius Gittens, Trinidadian columnist and advocate Afra Raymond, UWI Climate Scientist Dale Rankin, sport journalist Lasana Liburd and Serbian investigative journalist Gordana Bjeletic.
Meanwhile, Denis Chabrol, Andrea Joseph and Emmerson Campbell were recipients of special awards for their contributions to the profession over the years.
Chabrol had in 2009 launched the country’s first online media entity; Joseph is a veteran broadcaster and a senior sport journalist; while Campbell was recognised for his contributions to the sport fraternity, not only in media coverage but his achievements in bodybuilding.
In light of the submissions this year, the GPA underscored the need for more media training.
The GPA hopes that in areas where they saw low or no entries, journalists can improve over the next couple of years with the requisite training.
In opening remarks, GPA Executive, Chabrol, who has been in the media since 1986, encouraged journalists to stay true to the profession as he made reference to the many challenges they face.
“Since last December, we have seen one of the tensest, busy and demanding periods in our journalistic careers in recent times,” he highlighted, with clear reference to the events following the historic passage of a No-Confidence Motion against the Government on December 21, 2018.
“They have challenged the way we gather news, the way we disseminate news and most of all, have tested us as true practitioners of journalism.”
“It is going to be an even testier period in the not so near future. With Guyana on the cusp of new economic wealth, possible paradigm shifts and political twist and turns, we encourage you to stay true to the profession,” Chabrol stated.
