Standard business writer feted

By Standard Reporter

A business writer with The Standard is among the finalists for the prestigious Reuters Fitzgerald Prize, whose winner will be announced later in the course of the month.

Morris Aron, a business journalist with The Standard Group’s business desk and the weekly business pullout, Financial Journal, is one of the few business journalists from the continent short-listed for the hotly contested prize.

"Well, I am deeply humbled. Such recognition goes a long way in boosting ones morale in the field of business journalism," Aron said after learning of the development.

The Reuters Fitzgerald Prize, which debuted in Africa two years ago, attracted thousands of contestants from Africa. It offers a scholarship to a promising, under 30-African journalist to do a post-graduate (BA hons) degree at the University of The Witwatersrand’s Journalism Programme in Johannesburg, and join Reuters News thereafter for 6 months’ work experience.

Candidates must have an undergraduate degree, or at least three years professional experience in journalism, and must be nominated by a senior journalist, publisher or academic.

In 2010, Nigerian journalist Ruona Agbroko won the Fitzgerald Prize for Young African Journalists, and is currently studying at the Wits University. Malawian journalist, Olivia Kumwenda, who won the inaugural Fitzgerald prize, is already undertaking her internship with the Reuters bureau in Johannesburg.

The prestigious Fitzgerald Prize was established to give opportunities to young African journalists who have already shown great promise.

The Prize was set up in the name of Niall Fitzgerald, co-Deputy Chairman of Thomson Reuters, who has a long association with Africa, having served as CEO of Unilever?s foods business in South Africa in the early 1980s. He also co-chairs the Investment Climate Facility (ICF) for Africa.