Bernadette chalks up a success
MERCURY reporter Bernadette Wolhuter won the regional leg of the Vodacom Young Journalist of the Year award at an event at the Protea Hotel in Umhlanga last night.
Wolhuter was rewarded for the story she wrote on convicted killer Nicolette Lotter, titled “I wish I could thank my parents”, in March this year.
Lotter was convicted for her role in the killing of her parents.
Wolhuter was working for The Mercury’s sister paper the Daily News at the time. She returned to The Mercury at the end of May.
She said of the story that she had long wanted to tackle the subject, but had originally been considered “too green”, and was thrilled to finally have been given a chance to interview Lotter.
Wolhuter, who studied for a BA specialising in communication science at Unisa, worked as a junior reporter at The Mercury from 2012 to 2014, before spending a year overseas. She then worked for the Daily News before returning to The Mercury.
Vodacom said the Young Journalist national winner would get an allexpenses-paid overseas trip that would include a visit to the Thomson Foundation, as well as working in a newsroom.
Sihle Manda, also of The Mercury, was commended for his articles on housing corruption in eThekwini.