Two journalists from Citizen TV have been named among 12 winners in the continental ACCER 2022 Awards.
In the list of winners announced on Monday, June 13, Citizen TV reporter Racquel Muigai and camera person Agnes Oloo were named winners beating 165 entries for the coveted awards that celebrate excellence in Environmental reporting.
Of the entries, 83 were from online, 35 from the print media, 22 from television, 15 from radio and 5 from vernacular media categories.
Other winners included Charles Ayitey from Ghana, Calvin Rock and Cece Siago (Kenya), Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman (Ghana), Robinson Wanosike, Baguiri Chamsou Dine Koto, and Adjimehossou Fulbert (Benin), Temwa Mhone (Malawi), Marko Taibot (Uganda) and Michel Nkurunziza (Rwanda).
The chair of the judges' panel, Prof. Kioko Ireri, noted that the decision to award the 12 was a hard decision that involved immense consultations.
“It was an exercise that needed patience, back and forth engagement and making hard decisions,” stated Kioko.
Charles Mwangi, the Acting Executive Director of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, noted that the award was developed to help in shaping climate change narrative and arouse consciousness in how people use biological resources.
Mwangi believes that effective and sufficient reporting on Climate Change and Environment will have the overall effect of guiding the development of strategies, policies, action plans and measures on Climate Change adequately galvanizing the grassroots communities, National, Continental and International levels.
Winners of the award have secured a chance to participate in the 27th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) set for Egypt in November 2022.
They will also be awarded other tools that facilitate the work of journalism such as laptops, tablets, and phones besides cash awards.
“A climate justice narrative led by the African media players is needed as the continent prepares to host the 27th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP27) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change summit slated for November 7 to 18 in Egypt,” Mithika Mwenda, the Executive Director of Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), noted during the call for submissions in mid-May.
The ACCER Awards, an initiative of the PACJA, is a biennial initiative that recognises excellence in climate change and environmental journalism in Africa. It was first launched in 2013 with the aim of shaping the climate change narratives in Africa.
