Jane Craigie (UK) and Merveille Kakule Saliboko (DRC) receive International Federation of Agricultural Journalists’ Star Prizes for Digital Media
The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) awarded two first-place recognitions in its IFAJ Star Prize for Digital Media, one to Jane Craigie of Jane Craigie Marketing in the United Kingdom and the other to Merveille Kakule Saliboko of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The awards were announced at the IFAJ World Congress in Olds, Alberta, Canada on July 2, 2023.
Craigie’s winning piece, “Growing Cotton With Blockchain,” tied together the story of cotton and blockchain through a combination of BASF’s The Science Behind Your Salad podcast, online articles, infographics, and more. One judge noted that the entry “shows how much a well-produced, imaginative digital presentation can communicate” and pointed out that it was “the most complete entry in this category we have ever had.”
Saliboko’s “How Water Improves Ruwenzori’s Specialty Coffee in Eastern DRCongo” appears on InfoNile.org, a geodata story project focusing on the Nile Basin. Judges described the work as “a substantial piece of work from a brave journalist,” while another wrote, “it takes courage to ask these questions, and you provided solutions…well done.”
The Star Prize award recognizes excellence in reporting on agricultural topics around the world.
“The world is turning to online resources for information, and creative reporters are using the power of digital media to provide information and context to an eager public,” noted Adalberto Rossi, IFAJ secretary-general. “As winner of the IFAJ Star Prize, Jane and Merveille can truly say that their work is the best in the world.”
Judging of the IFAJ Star Prize for Digital Media competition was coordinated by Leigh Radford, a long-time veteran of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and the panel included Ian Petrie of Canada, Prue Adams of Australia, and Ken Rundle of the U.K. The judges awarded a runner-up prize to Elly Bradfield from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for “Heartbreak and Hope for Women Having Babies in the Bush,” with one judge describing the reporting as, “nicely told with great empathy, backed up by beautiful photos.”
Follow these links to view “Growing Cotton With Blockchain” by Jane Craigie: https://omny.fm/shows/the-science-behind-your-salad/cotton https://agriculture.basf.com/global/en/media/featured-stories/sustainable-fashion.html
Click here to visit “How Water Improves Ruwenzori’s Specialty Coffee in Eastern DRCongo” by Merveille Kakule Saliboko.
Click here to visit “Hope for Women Having Babies in the Bush.”
For details on the other 2023 IFAJ Star Prize winners, visit ifaj.org.
