Business reporting awards in Africa launched

Drink company Diageo has launched the 2006 Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards, a set of international journalism awards that recognize excellence in reporting on business in Africa.

Journalists and editors who report on business in Africa are eligible to enter six categories, covering print, online, television and radio journalism.

Speaking at the launch, Nick Blazquez, managing director, Diageo Africa, said, “Diageo established these awards in 2004 to recognize and reward the best in reporting on business in Africa. As the Commission for Africa identified, negative perceptions of Africa, combined with a shortfall in reliable information on the continent’s business environment, are constraining Africa’s ability to attract investment.

“Africa is currently experiencing its best economic performance in many years and flows of foreign direct investment to the continent are increasing. But they are still small – less than 3 percent of the global total and only 11 percent of $278 billion going to developing countries. More needs to be done to tell the positive stories coming from Africa and so encourage other potential investors.”

Blazquez was joined by Anver Versi, editor of African Business and winner of the Best Journalist Award in 2005. Versi said, “Perhaps the most relevant area of African journalism today is business journalism. Few human activities are as dependent on information and analysis as business.”

To read the full announcement, go here.