In presenting the awards, Dr Klaus Döring, CEO of Siemens Southern Africa, said that while technology has already significantly changed the lives of ordinary people throughout Africa, government authorities and business leaders need to accelerate investments in transportation, electrification, health and telecommunications, which are catalysts for continuing economic and social development.
"There is no doubt that the media plays a key role in making technology easily understandable to the communities on the continent through structured and well researched reporting, and will continue to play a key role in this process," he said.
Kerry Swift, executive director of development at Rhodes University, convened the judging panel that included distinguished journalists, academics and technologists. Among them was Peter Bruce, editor of Business Day; Chris Kabwato, director of Highway Africa; Axel Buhrmann, editor of Windows SA; Graeme Addison, award-winning technology writer and a former Professor of Journalism; Kevin Dunne, head of Nedcor Foundation; Dr Godfrey Mvuma, environmental specialist at the CSIR; and Richard Steyn, former editor-in-chief of The Star.
"Entries for this year's competition increased by over 100%, and were notable for the number of television entries, a trend that was not apparent in the last competition," said Swift. "This is encouraging because it indicates that local television producers recognise the importance of technology as a prime mover in our developing world and understand its potential news value."
As in the past, the judging process appointed judges in each category to assess entries and to find potential winners. The top entries in each category were then assessed by the full judging panel so that consensus could be reached on individual category winners, whose entries were then judged by the entire panel until consensus was reached on the overall winner.
Judging the more than 160 entries from across the SADC region was no easy task. Not only was there a broad mix of subject matter, but technology applications vary in different contexts. However, the judges were unanimous in choosing the winners in each category, and on the overall winner.
"In the main, the section winners chose themselves, with the judges' comments suggesting that each could hold their own in a global competition of this nature. At the top end, the judges felt that entries were of a very high standard, but there was a noticeable fall-off in quality at the bottom end of the spectrum, suggesting some reporters in the science and technology field still have a way to go," said Swift. "As to the overall winner, the judges felt this entry demonstrated all the qualities they were looking for and there was no dissenting voice in this choice."
The judges found that Caelers had shown a consistently high standard of excellence in her reporting in the medical solutions field, oustanding understanding of subject matter and very original style.
Other individual category winners in this year's Siemens Profile Awards were:
Merit awards went to:
Dr Döring added that Siemens' long-term view is that to improve the quality of technology reporting, three interrelated issues should be addressed: a greater commitment by editors of non trade and technology media to issues of technology - not only internet and mobile telecommunications; a commitment by local publishers to accelerate their distribution into Africa; and a willingness by the media to understand and develop more interest in science and technology reporting.
"Some of the awards we presented clearly illustrate that there has indeed been some progress in this regard," he continued. "Trade and business interaction between African countries has increased considerably over the past years, placing even greater emphasis on information exchange within and between these nations."
With operations in 23 African countries, Dr Döring said that Siemens remains well aware of the challenges facing Africa today, adding that business and governments alone cannot solve the continent's problems.
"It is the responsibility of all role players including the media to find ways to work together to narrow the technological divide and place our continent on an accelerated development path and transform challenges into opportunities."
At the Awards ceremony, it was also announced that due to the volume of entries received from countries outside of the SADC region during both competitions in 2002 and 2003, a Siemens communications conference in Egypt last month decided that entries will be accommodated from any media, from any African country and from all journalists and freelance writers for the 2004 Profile Awards.
"This continental initiative will receive the support of both our international company President and the Chief Executives from all African countries in which we have Siemens offices," concluded Dr Döring.
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