30 October 2015
PRESS RELEASE
USP Journalism Programme to host awards night
François Turmel, and a substantial media resources grant to lay the foundation.
Head of USP’s Journalism programme, Dr Shailendra Singh, said the awards recognise and reward academic excellence and
endeavour.
He said despite being a small programme with limited resources, it has produced close to 200 graduates working in
various media roles throughout the Pacific and beyond.
Some graduates have started their own publications, while others have been awarded postgraduate scholarships overseas,
including a PhD candidate at AUT University.
Dr Singh said many Pacific-based media and communications positions in regional/international organisations that
previously would have been held by expatriates were now filled by USP journalism graduates.
At this year’s awards, the attendees include supporters of USP Journalism from the news media industry, the diplomatic
corps, non-governmental organisations, corporate sector, the USP community and the USP Journalism alumni.
“The awards have also become an annual get-together for journalists from the news media industry and USP journalism
alumni,” said Dr Singh.
“For USP journalism, it is an opportunity to meet and thank news organisations and NGOs who take students on training
attachments and provide employment, sponsors of the awards, donors, scholarship pro¬viders, advertisers and guest
lecturers,” Dr Singh noted.
The list of awards to be presented include:
1. Encouragement Award, sponsored by Cover Story Limited.
2. Most Promising First Year Student, sponsored by PINA.
3. Best Radio Student, sponsored by Communications Fiji Ltd.
4. Best TV Student, sponsored by Fiji Television Limited.
5. Best Photographer, sponsored by former Radio Station manager of USP Journalism, Semi Francis.
6. Best Sports Reporter, sponsored by the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation.
7. Best Sub-Editor, sponsored by Fiji Times Limited.
8. Best Environment Reporting, sponsored by the South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP).
9. Best News Story, sponsored by Republika Magazine.
10. Best Editor, sponsored by Business Melanesia magazine.
11. Best Feature Writer, sponsored by Front Page Limited (publisher of Islands Business).
12. Storyboard Award for Best Regional Reporting.
13. Tanoa Award for Best Graduating Journalism Student, sponsored by the Fiji Sun Limited.