President Samia to grace EJAT 2021 celebrations

The Chief Judge of the Excellence in Journalism Awards Tanzania, Mkumbwa Ally (right) takes the oath before the chairperson of the Media Council of Tanzania, rtd Judge  Robert Maramba. Second left is the chairperson of EJAT organizing committee, Kajubi Mukajanga who is also the Executive Secretary of Media Council of Tanzania.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan will grace the Excellence in Journalism Awards Tanzania (EJAT) 2021 celebrations.

The President will present awards and prizes to EJAT 2021 overall winner and winner of Life Time Achievement Award in Journalism (LAJA) 2022 during the celebrations to be held on May 28, 2022 at Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam.

This will be a second time for a sitting President to grace EJAT celebrations.

The first was Jakaya Mrisho Kiketwe for EJAT 2011.

Meanwhile a seven member panel of Judges has been sworn-in to scrutinize entries vying for Excellence in Journalism Awards Tanzania (EJAT) 2021.

The panel led by veteran editor Mkumbwa Ally was sworn-in on May 6, 2022 by the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee of the Media Council of Tanzania, rtd Judge Robert Makaramba.

Other members of the panel are Mwanzo Millinga, Imane Duwe, Rose Haji, Aboubakar Famau, Beatrice Bandawe and Mbaraka Islam.

The judging process will continue consecutively for eight days.

A total of 598 entries have been submitted for the competition’s 20 categories. This is an increase from 396 entries submitted in EJAT 2020.

Out of the  598 entries 250 were submitted by media practitioners  from Dar es Salaam , followed by Mwanza with 63 entries and Zanzibar 59 entries  and Arusha with 33 entries while Tanga at fifth place  with 17 entries.

The entries have been submitted by journalists from 73 media outlets.

This is 13^th edition of EJAT since it started in 2009.

As for LAJA, this is the sixth edition and the winners of the award since it started are Fili Karashani 2012, Hamza Kassongo 2013, Mariam Hamdan 2014, Jenerali Ulimwengu 2015 and Rose Haji Mwalimu 2016.

Members of EJAT organizing committee are the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT), Tanzania Media Foundation (TMF) Tanzania Media Women Association (TAMWA), Tanzania Editors Forum  (TEF), HakiElimu, Agriculture Non-State Actors Forum (ANSAF), Union of Tanzania Press Clubs (UTPC) and Twaweza.