Danny Faure Foundation Media Awards 2021   ‘It is linked to the Foundation’s pillar to promote transparency, accountability and good governance’ |27 January 2022

Local journalists during a press conference

Recently, the Danny Faure Foundation (DFF) announced the launch of the Danny Faure Media Awards 2021 competition. Seychelles NATION contacted the foundation to further enlighten us more on this competition.

Seychelles NATION:  Please tell us more on why such an award from the Foundation

DFF:The Danny Faure Foundation has planned a number of activities that are aimed at achieving its five pillars or main objectives. One of these pillars is the promotion of Transparency, Accountability and Good Governance (TAGG) for sustainable development in Africa. Transparency, accountability and access to information are key elements of good governance. Transparency ensures that information is available that can be used to measure the performance of authorities and to guard against any possible misuse of powers. In that sense, transparency serves to achieve accountability, which means that authorities can be held responsible for their actions. The media as the fourth pillar has a crucial role in the promotion of TAGG by keeping the public informed on the social, economic, and political activities happening in the country. The Awards aim to encourage reporting that promotes transparency, accountability and good governance, hence raising public awareness, understanding and participation.

Seychelles NATION: Conscious of the environment, where it is quite hard to confirm and get information, what type of reportages/articles are you expecting from journalists?

DFF:The Awards is open for journalistic works in the fields of print, radio, television and digital media. The competition is open to individual journalists and media organisations such as broadcasting houses, newspapers and online publications that are affiliated to a licensed media institution. An independent panel of judges will consider entries that are eligible to participate in the awards based on a given set of parameters. The aim is to encourage reporting that promotes transparency, accountability and good governance.

a)        The entries shall be works either published or broadcast through a recognised media outlet of the Seychelles between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021.

b)        The entries should address issues that are relevant to the promotion of TAGG.

c)        The entries should demonstrate awareness and understanding of the importance of TAGG in media reports.

d)        A journalist belonging to a media organisation may submit an entry but he/she must inform his/her organisation.

e)        Media organisations may submit up to three entries.

f)         A transcript in English must accompany all audio visual entries and a translation in English is required for feature and articles.

Seychelles NATION: Many people think that this award comes after the criticism that journalists had to face recently. How far is this true?

DFF:The Danny Faure Foundation is a not for profit and non-political organisation that has its aims and objectives defined in its Constitution. Since it was launched in June 2021, the Foundation has drawn up a list of activities that it will organise with the aim of achieving its objectives. The first one was a painting competition for children where there was an overwhelming response from participants. The Media Awards is an activity that is linked to the Foundation’s pillar to promote transparency, accountability and good governance. It has nothing to do with comments in regards to the work of the local press.

Seychelles NATION: Who and how many persons will be judging the work of the journalists?

DFF:The Foundation has chosen a panel of seven members to judge the entries. The judging panel is independent of the Foundation. It will comprise institutions or individuals with experience in journalism or whose work have a bearing on the media, transparency, accountability or good governance. The judging panel will be chaired by a representative of the Seychelles Media Commission. Other members are Transparency Initiative Seychelles, The Guy Morel Institute, The University of Seychelles, an international organisation, an international investigative journalist and a retired local journalist. The panel of judges will be announced in February.

Vidya Gappy