By Che J Grey

Now that the media fraternity has ushered into the MISA office new leaders, I am of the view that the leadership must consider changing one or two things regarding the MISA Media Awards.

For a start, the MISA Awards need to be restructured, reorganized, and some of the categories renamed, etc.

Secondly, the “Prize”. To me the laptops have lost their importance. We are no longer living in the “stone age” where journalists used to carry laptops everywhere in the field.

These days with only a digital camera strapped around the neck and a smartphone in the pocket, an Editor is guaranteed of an excellent work from his reporter.

Next year we don’t need these laptops.. If you have the laptops, donate them to some of these struggling radio stations.

Give journalists gadgets that will add more value to their trade. This is an era of new media therefore smartphones, MiFis, Routers loaded with internet bundles, Digital cameras etc, would be ideal.

And why not award some of the journalists with scholarships? Why not look for sponsors that would send some of the winners outside Malawi to learn from their friends outside.

We are tired seeing the journalists kusenza dzima laptop ena mpakana dzima laptop 5 zaku MISA Malawi.

And the award categories… You would think this was an essay competition. Imagine having “Reporting Older Persons Journalist of the Year”.

For argument sake, how different is this category with the “Human Rights Journalist of the Year?” To me, with such categories, journalists are mostly awarded for advancing more of the agenda of the MISA partners and sponsors than for advancing the core principals of journalism.

Why have Health research, Health Governance, and Reporting Supply Chain of Essential Medicines as different categories. Zisamakhale ngati za Chipiku Central Region Football League zopanga award ma reporters chifukwa chonenelera Chipiku.

Ndatitu awa ndi maganizo anga chabe…. Ndikanakamba zambir, koma tiziyenda ndi nthawi. I have confidence in this new MISA leadership.

 The Chair himself works for a digital platform and understands that the world has changed so they must also change the way of doing things at MISA Malawi.

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