Here in the West there is much debate about the standard of our financial journalism, but there are still some places where business reporting struggles to survive at all.
So we should be glad of the Diego African Business Journalism awards. The economic media is a vital part of any market economy. It acts as watchdog, information provider, and as a platform for new ideas and advertising. Good financial journalism makes economies stronger and more resiliant.
As Africa’s economy has grown, so has the business media so DIego’s latest research claims to show an increasingly healthy picture:
A study commissioned by Diageo, and published today to coincide with the first call for entries for the Awards, reveals that coverage of business in Africa has proliferated during the last five years, growing in quantity, quality and frequency. Thirty six investors across four continents with a combined portfolio of around US$20bn under management in Africa were surveyed. They supplied their views about the media and how it informs their investment decisions. Although there is still a disparity between perceptions of Africa in the West and the reality on the ground in Africa, this study also reveals that African business reporting is more important now than ever before, because investors into Africa are increasing in number and in type. This is driving the interest in business related information
The awards categories are:
Best Published Feature
Best Radio Feature
Best Television Feature
Best Published Photograph
Media of the Year
Journalist of the Year
The closing date for entry is 15 April 2009.