The Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB) Kenya Chapter is glad to announce the 2024 call for participation in the annual OFAB Media Awards.

OFAB takes pride in enhancing knowledge sharing and awareness creation on agricultural biotechnology in Africa. The resultant understanding and appreciation of the technology has enabled improvement of policies and evidence-based decision making by various stakeholders.

Journalists have been instrumental in disseminating information over the years, and through their stories, steady increase in awareness about all attributes of the technology has been recorded. In this light, OFAB Kenya wishes to recognize journalists who have consistently gone out of their way to inform the public on agricultural biotechnology.

In order to promote excellence in agricultural biotechnology reporting, we will celebrate and award three winning journalists in the categories of; Television, Radio and Print & Online.

ELIGIBILITY

  1.   Kenyan journalists who have been reporting on agricultural biotechnology.
  2. Entry period is for one year from August 30th, 2023, to August 30th, 2024.
  3. Categories for the award will be;
    • Print and Online (Newspapers, Magazine and Online etc.)
    • Radio
    • Television
  4. Journalists are encouraged to submit entries by sharing:
    • Links to published articles. The URL should be from a media house and not a personal blog; or
    • YouTube and SoundCloud links to TV and Radio stories respectively; and,
    • Links to 3 of their best self-appraised articles or stories. 

Entry limit: Entrants MUST submit a minimum of THREE entries (in ONE CATEGORY ONLY).

The entries (active links) should be submitted here by Friday August 30th, 2024. If an entry is not accessible online, scanned articles should be submitted to the OFAB Kenya secretariat at africenterstaff@isaaa.org . Transcripts (in pdf format) of stories covered in Swahili or other local languages MUST be submitted to the same email.

NB: 2023 OFAB Media Award winners WILL BE INELIGIBLE to participate in this year’s competition.

SCORING

An independent judging committee will select the winning entries based on;

  • Scientific accuracy
  • Initiative
  • Originality
  • Clarity of interpretation
  • Value in fostering a better public understanding of agricultural biotechnology and its impact in the society

PRIZES

In the categories of Television, Radio and Print media;

  1. Winner – A plaque, a certificate of recognition and cash prize of KES 100,000
  2. 1st Runner-up – A certificate of recognition and cash prize of KES 75,000
  3. 2nd Runner-up – A certificate of recognition and cash prize of KES 50,000

Winners of each category will also be invited and sponsored to participate in OFAB Africa Media Wards (OMAs) scheduled for later in the year. Award ceremony date and logistics will be communicated to all participants by email.