AMH journalists scoop awards
TWO ALPHA Media Holdings (AMH) journalists on Friday scooped two awards at the 2024 Insurance and Pensions Media Awards.
AMH are the publishers of The Standard, NewsDay and Zimbabwe Independent newspapers and online radio station Heart & Soul.
Launched in 2018, the annual awards’ objective is to inspire increased and high-quality coverage of insurance and pension matters in the media.
Mthandazo Nyoni, the AMH group business editor, scooped the Pensions Journalist of the year award
Senior business reporter Melody Chikomo bagged the Shortterm Insurance Journalist of the year gong.
Ipec board chairperson Albert Nduna urged the media to promote financial literacy to raise the public’s awareness of insurance and pensions.
“That is what developmental journalism is all about, bringing positive change by not only highlighting problems, but also identifying and promoting solutions,” Nduna, who was the guest speaker, said.
“For example, given the effects of climate change on agriculture, especially smallholder farmers who rely on the rains, it is of paramount importance that journalists not only shine a spotlight on the devastation that climate change causes, but also educate the public about the importance of insurance in mitigating climate-related risks.
“That will surely serve as a catalyst for transformation.”
He urged all stakeholders to work together to rebuild trust in insurance and pensions if the industry is to be sustainable.
“To the industry captains, the insurance and pensions industry should also prioritise fair treatment of policyholders and pension scheme members in line with the Treating Customers Fairly Framework,” Nduna said.
This will no doubt earn the industry trust and confidence of the public.
“One of the low hanging fruits in restoring confidence in pensions in Zimbabwe is the compensation of pension scheme members for the pre-2009 losses as per the compensation regulations gazetted last year.”
According to Ipec commissioner Grace Muradzikwa, 26 journalists from 22 media organisations submitted 94 articles for this year’s awards compared to last year where 16 journalists, representing 14 media organisations, submitted 62 articles.