The 9th annual WIN Editorial Leadership Awards recognise the exemplary contribution of an editor to her newsroom, and under her leadership, her media organisation’s contribution to society. The 2023 Laureates were honoured on the opening day of WAN-IFRA’s World News Media Congress in Taipei, Taiwan.
“My sincere congratulations to Emang Mutapati, Lina Ejeilat, and Glenda Gloria for this deserved recognition,” said WAN-IFRA’s CEO Vincent Peyregne. “Diversity and inclusion must be central to any media’s business model, yet still today women are underrepresented at the most senior editorial levels. In recognising the substantial editorial achievements of these exceptional newsroom leaders we are also shining a light on the continued gap we need to bridge as an industry to bring more diverse voices and leadership into our news.”
Emang Mutapati, the editor-in-chief of The Voice in Botswana, the country’s leading newspaper, is also the current chairperson of the Botswana Editors Forum. She has been an inextricable part of her organisation’s growth, having joined The Voice 30 years ago when she was 19. As editor, she has steered its growth to become the country’s leading print publication.
“My win is a win for independent journalism. It’s a win for journalism underpinned by inclusivity, gender balance, equity and diversity. This profession can sometimes feel like a thankless one, so it feels great to get this pat on the back that says, ‘we see what you’re doing and we affirm you.’ I feel like the media chose me, so I have treated it as a calling, as a space that gives me the opportunity to give a voice to those who don’t have a voice. This win is a win for all the people I have worked with over the decades, building something from nothing, and now we’re here where we have become the best-selling newspaper in Botswana. We are having an impact,” said Mutapati.
Lina Ejeilat is the executive editor of 7iber.com. She co-founded the website in 2007 as a blog and citizen-media platform, and helped transform it into a professional online magazine that produces in-depth multimedia journalism and critical analysis and commentary on political, economic, social, and cultural issues from Jordan and the Arab region. Lina also teaches Digital Media and Data Journalism to MA students at the Jordan Media Institute since 2010, and leads training workshops in Jordan and the region.
“This award, in addition to being a great appreciation for my work, makes me feel that I now have a big responsibility towards the 7iber team of staff, contributors, readers and mostly towards all the people who trust us with their stories. I feel that despite the challenges and obstacles, including the narrowing of freedoms in the public sphere and the difficulty to sustain independent media organisations, there is a responsibility to keep trying to put forward the type of journalism we provide,” said Ejeilat.
Glenda Gloria is a seasoned news executive with over 30 years of experience as a journalist, editor, manager and author. She is the executive editor and co-founder of Rappler in The Philippines,
“I consider this award a tribute to newsroom leaders and managers in the global south, like myself, who serve as the gatekeepers fighting for newsroom independence every single day. They have to navigate the demands of public service and the requirements of keeping a business alive. They also have to set the editorial agenda at a time when our readers and viewers are inundated with disinformation. It has been a most challenging time for newsroom leaders of my generation, but this award is telling us to carry on and keep going despite doubts about our relevance given the polluted information ecosystem. This award means that there’s reason to hope and dream big again so that we can collectively craft a sustainable way forward,” said Gloria.
Previous Laureates of the WIN Editorial Leadership Award include: Toyosi Ogunseye, Senior News Editor at BBC; Karima Kamal, columnist and contributing editor for the Egyptian daily Al Masry Al Youm; Pamella Sittoni, Group Managing Editor for the Daily Nation in Kenya; Noura al-Hourani, Lead Arabic Editor at Syria Direct; Barbara Kaija, Editor-in-Chief of the Vision Group in Uganda; Anna Nimiriano, the Editor-in-Chief of the Juba Monitor in South Sudan; Acil Tabbara, Senior Editor at the French-language Lebanese daily L’Orient Le Jour; Mary Mbewe, the Executive Editor of Zambia’s Daily Nation; Etaf Roudan, the director of Radio al-Balad in Jordan; Edyth Kambalame, Editor at The Nation on Sunday and Vice-President of the Malawi Editors’ Forum; Samia Nakhoul, Middle East Editor at Thomson Reuters and multi-award winning journalist; Nyein Nyein Naing, Editor-in-Chief at 7Day News digital in Myanmar; Faith Zaba, editor of the Zimbabwe Independent in Zimbabwe; Diana Moukallaed, the co-founder of Daraj.com in Lebanon; and Regina Reyes a former head of news and current affairs at ABS-CBN Corporation in the Philippines.
The Laureates are selected by members of the Women in News Global Steering Committee based on criteria such as commitment to editorial excellence, gender equality and supporting the next generation of media leaders.
To learn more about past Laureates: www.womeninnews.org
Contact and Inquiries
Women in News Editorial Leadership Award: Myra Abdallah, Senior Manager, Communications, GEDI and Digital Safety, WAN-IFRA Women in News myra.abdallah@womeninnews.org
World News Media Congress Press Coordination: Jen Teo, Deputy Director WAN-IFRA APAC, jen.teo@wan-ifra.org
About
About World News Media Congress 2023. The 74th World News Media Congress (#WNMC23), taking place from 28th-30th June 2023 in Taipei, Taiwan is organised by WAN-IFRA – the World Association of News Publishers, in collaboration with Taiwan’s leading media and technology group – United Daily News Group (UDN). The World News Media Congress is the leading annual event for media leaders, bringing over 900 editors and media executives from nearly 60 countries to discuss challenges and opportunities for the global news media industry. The three-day programme includes Summits for Media Leaders, Editors and Women in News. WAN-IFRA issues several awards during the event, including the Golden Pen of Freedom, World Digital Media Awards, Women in News Editorial Leadership Awards. The conference incorporates a technology and services exhibition.
Women in News (WIN) partners with media organisations and individuals to close the gender gap in the news media. We do so in the belief that balanced newsrooms, boardrooms and content are key to building resilient news organisations. Our programmes empower people and organisations to work together in support of a healthier, lasting and inclusive news industry. WIN is currently working with more than 80 news organisations from 17 countries, in three regions, including Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe (WIN Africa); Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine (WIN Arab Region); and Myanmar, Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia (WIN Southeast Asia). WIN is made possible through support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. More on www.womeninnews.org
WAN-IFRA is the global organisation of the world’s press, comprising 3,000 news publishers and technology companies and 60 national publishers’ associations representing 18,000 publications in 120 countries. With a mission to protect the rights of journalists and publishers around the world to operate independent media, WAN-IFRA provides its members with expertise and services to innovate and prosper in a digital world and perform their crucial role in society.