Health-e a finalist in Discovery Health Excellence in Journalism Awards

The judging panel received over 130 entries from a cross-section of media.

‘€œThe healthcare beat covers finance, economics, ethics, clinical policy, science, wellness, medical technology, research, and the human experience. I am pleased to report strong entries from the media that covered some of these topics,’€ says Professor Tawana Kupe, moderator of the judging panel and the executive dean of the Humanities Faculty at the University of the Witwatersrand.

 ‘€œHealthcare is a complex and constantly evolving environment that impacts all of our society. There is a great responsibility on the shoulders of health journalists to give fair, accessible and expert information to their audiences that will empower them to make better health and lifestyle choices, or raise awareness of industry issues,’€ says Kupe.

Professor Kupe goes on to say that the mix of the judging panel led to a high level of debate during the judging process.   ‘€œAs a consequence of the collective knowledge and experience of the journalists, medical and media academics on the panel, certain things were highlighted that one group could have missed. It was the most intense and concentrated judging exercise that I have ever been part of.’€

 ‘€œDiscovery is committed to empowering people to improve their health and, thereby, contribute to their quality of life. We believe that promoting excellence in health journalism supports this vision as it leads to rigorous debate within the healthcare sector, raises consumers’€™ awareness of healthcare and lifestyle issues as well as impacting on healthcare policy,’€ says Neville Koopowitz, CEO of Discovery Health.

 ‘€œThis is the second year that we are honouring the top health journalists through the Discovery Health Journalism Excellence Awards and we are delighted that they have been supported so well by the media industry. These awards will become a regular feature on our calendar as we want to continue to support excellent health journalism that is fair, balanced and credible,’€ Koopowitz says.

This year a new category, ‘€˜Best health consumer reporting and feature writing‘€™, was added.   Each category winner will receive R25 000. The overall winner, the Discovery Health Journalist of the Year, will walk away with a total prize of R75 000. This overall winner is selected from the category finalists.

The awards will be presented at a gala dinner on 6 May at the Park Hyatt in Rosebank.

The finalists in each category are:

Category 1: Best health economics journalism

Bruce Whitfield ‘€“ A quick fix, Finweek

Tamar Kahn ‘€“ Cutting the cost of HIV treatment, Business Day

Joan Van Zyl ‘€“ National Health Unsureness, What’s New Doc

Carol Paton ‘€“ Wrong prescription: SA’€™s new health plan, Financial Mail

 

Category 2: Best analysis and commentary writing

Anso Thom (Health-e)  ‘€“ NHI won’€™t work until state hospitals are fixed, Cape Times & The Star

Tamar Kahn ‘€“ Denialists’€™ time has come, Business Day

Antoinette Pienaar ‘€“ Meningitis: Onnodige Angs, Beeld

Elsabe Brits ‘€“ ʼnOngesonde klimaat, Die Burger

Elsabe Brits ‘€“ Man, muis, mammoet, Die Burger

 

Category 3: Best health news reporting

Siphokazi Maposa ‘€“The city’€™s shame, Cape Argus  

Zintle Mapumulo and Kingdom Mabuza ‘€“ Public service doctor strike, Sowetan

Anso Thom and Lunga Langa (Health-e)’€“ Hovering at death’€™s door, The Star & Cape Times

Tamar Kahn ‘€“ Health Department backtracks on HIV figures, Business Day

Zintle Mapumulo ‘€“ Doctor left my mom in the theatre after cutting her open, Sowetan

Category 4: Best investigative reporting

Zintle Mapumulo ‘€“ Abortion Pills sold on streets in Soweto, Sowetan

Zintle Mapumulo ‘€“ Hospital turns the dying away, Sowetan

Kerry Cullinan (Health-e)’€“ Edendale series, Sunday Tribune & Mercury

 

Category 5: Best healthy lifestyle feature

Janine Stephen ‘€“ The new Baby Boomers, Marie Claire

Lori Cohen ‘€“ Two glasses of wine, Marie Claire

Lydia VD Merwe ‘€“ H2O beter in ʼn bottel, Sarie

Glynis Horning ‘€“ Women on the verge?, Cosmopolitan

Category 6: Best health consumer reporting and consumer writing  

Glynis Horning ‘€“ Revenge of the couch potato, Cosmopolitan

Glynis Horning ‘€“ Jumpstart your libido, Femina

Marzanne van den Berg ‘€“ Wanneer ʼn kind se lag verdwyn, Beeld

Antoinette Pienaar ‘€“ Nooit te laat om stil moordenaar te stuit, Beeld

Category 7: Best trade publication health journalism  

 

Chris Bateman ‘€“ Millions of ‘€˜snips’€™ will bolster our health system, SA Medical Journal

Mari Hudson ‘€“ Thinking outside the black box and Making a mental note, What’s New Doc

Mari Hudson ­ ‘€“ The Twisting Heart, What’s New Doc

Dr Nerina Wilksons and Dr Alek Nikolic ‘€“ The Dos and don’€™ts of Botox, What’s New Doc

Chris Bateman ‘€“ Gvt shifts duty of care to underpaid public sector doctors, SA Medical Journal

Mari Hudson ‘€“ Revealed: Details of the ANC’€™s NHI plan, What’s New Doc

Mari Hudson ‘€“ Anaesthesia shock: fatal decisions, What’s New Doc

Chris Bateman ‘€“ Up to its eyeballs in sewage ‘€“ Government pleads for help, SA Medical Journal

 

Category 8: Radio health journalism

Khopotso Bodibe (Health-e)  ‘€“ A window into Tender’€™s life, SAFM

Khopotso Bodibe (Health-e)’€“ What drives some men to MCP (part 1), SAFM

Thabile Maphanga ‘€“ Baby heart, SABC Radio                                        

Thabile Maphanga ‘€“ Bara doctors, SABC Radio

Category 9: TV health journalism  

Andrea Sasha Wales-Smith ‘€“ Dik getik, Special Assignment, SABC 3

Anna-Maria Lombard (Health-e)  ‘€“ Price of denial, Third Degree, e-TV

Anna-Maria Lombard (Health-e)  ‘€“ Dora Ngiza, Carte Blanche, M-NET

Yolisa Njamela ‘€“ NHI, SABC

Julie Laurenz and Nicky Troll ‘€“ Facelift, Carte Blanche, M-NET  

Julie Laurenz and Nicky Troll ‘€“ Dead meds, Carte Blanche, M-NET .

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