Story, Louvier Kindo Tombe
The ball has been set rolling for the 6th edition of the Victoria International Media Merit Awards (VIIMMA 2023). That was during a press conference which took place Wednesday 24 May 2023 in Douala. Focus was on presenting the event to the press with highlights on innovations envisaged this year
Speaking at the conference the national president of the Cameroon Association of Media Professionas (CAMP), Solomon Agborem revealed the major awards.
“This year the media category is going to have 20 awards for men and women of the press,15 for UN agencies and 5 for ordinary categories,” Solomon Agborem said.
VIIMMA 2022 is placed on the theme “cross cultural communication”.
Wednesday’s press conference was also an opportunity to present the innovations of VIIMMA 2023.
According to the organising committee, placing the event on cross cultural communications will go a long way to reduce hate speech from ethnic and cultural angles as cultural and linguistic values would be respected.
The organisers are of the opinion that journalists, media practitioners and partners can carve a niche to promote effective and inclusive cross cultural communications to this effect.
VIIMMA 2023 will also be looking at minority languages which must be preserved in the line of activities of journalists and civil society members.
“We shall be having an award in this domain as innovation for this year,” Solomon Agborem revealed.
One major innovation will be a special award in honour of journalist Anye Nde Nsoh, who was recently killed in Bamenda. He worked in an area of devastating conflicts. He died while covering the conflict
“We are using Anye Nde Nsoh as a reference because there are other journalists across the world working in difficult humanitarian settings,” says Fonyuy Kiven, media awards committee chair.
“We need to pay homage to these media heroes, they are our heroes.”
With the launch of VIIMMA 2023, aspiring journalists can now prepare their submissions to be sent to a jury that will be established and communicated. Stringent criteria have been identified this year.
“We are taking VIIMMA to a whole new level this year,” Fonyuy Kiven said, adding that “we are taking VIIMMA 2023 across the linguistic border lines”.
The event will hold in Limbe, Fako Division of the South West region on 12 August 2023.
VIIMMA it should be noted is organized by the Cameroon Association of Media Professionas (CAMP).
