59 picked for ACME journalism awards

A total of 59 journalists have made it to the shortlist of this year’s National Journalism Awards organised by African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME).
According to the statement from ACME released at the weekend, the awards, launched in 2014, celebrate and promote exceptional, in-depth and enterprising journalism that informs public debate and holds power to account.
They are open to all journalists working for media outlets in Uganda or regional media houses with wide circulation and significant audience reach in the country.

“Recognition and reward are proven ways of motivating professionals to maintain good standards and to raise their performance,” Dr George Lugalambi, the ACME executive director, said.
He added: “These awards showcase the best of Ugandan journalism and inspire media platforms to continue striving to excel.”
The ACME statement said a total of 196 journalists participated in the awards, submitting 283 entries for competition.
About 30 percent of participating journalists are women and 40 percent of entries were from journalists based outside Kampala.
A panel of eight judges drawn from the media, academia and public communications adjudicated the entries.

Dr Charlotte Kawesa Ntulume of the Department of Journalism and Communication at Makerere University chaired the panel.
This year’s winners will be announced at a gala to be held on Wednesday starting at 4:30 pm at Mestil Hotel Conference Centre in Nsambya, Kampala.
Among the highlights, Ms Rachael Akidi Okwir, BBC World Service head of East Africa languages, will deliver a keynote address on covering African in a rapidly changing digital landscape.