Cape Times rated among world’s top 10 again
A CAPE TIMES front page has for the sixth time in 17 months been adjudged among the 10 best in the world on the day, from among 800 newspapers around the world.
It has once again been honoured by the the prestigious Newseum in Washington, DC, this time for Wednesday’s front page. It featured a masthead picture and lead story on The Elders Walk in celebration of Nelson Mandela International Day.
The front page was exhibited outside the Newseum along Pennsylvania Avenue down the road from the White House and in its Front Pages Gallery.
A selection is made by a team of Newseum editors from the more than 800 front pages it receives digitally each morning, forming part of its advocacy to educate the public about the news and journalism.
Selection may focus on the headline, photos, innovative design or something else that elevates a front page above the rest.
On its front page, the Cape Times featured The Elders and their launch in central Cape Town, where Mandela made his first public appearance after 27 years’ imprisonment, of their Walk Together campaign.
It will honour groups or movements leading peace, health, justice and equality initiatives, in line with principles Mandela stood for.
His widow and member of The Elders, Graça Machel, said it was a continuation of Madiba’s Long Walk to Freedom.
Cape Times Editor Aneez Salie said: “We are thrilled at this latest international honour for the Cape Times. It is a direct result of a transformed ownership, leadership and ethos. Clearly, we now have a world-class team.
“Being recognised consistently as among the very best in the world is testimony to what transformation from apartheid-colonialism can achieve in the media and everywhere else.
“It also makes a nonsense of the persistent and racist attacks on us by those who defend colonialism and who ban newspapers who refuse to be lapdogs.”
In another international honour, award-winning photographer Phando Jikelo has made the top five finalists in the Andrei Stenin International Photo Contest online voting for a front-page picture of a Grabouw housing protest he produced while part of the Cape Times team last year.
He is now with the African News Agency.
The contest is organised by the Rossiya Segodnya media group and the Commission of the Russian Federation for Unesco.
“It’s a great feeling to be in the top five. I didn’t think that when I entered the competition that I’d make it this far, but in all humility, this is reward for showing passion and dedication in my work,” said Jikelo.
Salie said: “We congratulate Phando for this great honour. We are very proud of him.
“Phando has shown much compassion for the poor and downtrodden, which is in keeping with the Cape Times and Independent Media ethos. All power to his lens.”
The winner will be announced on August 7.