Bhubaneswar: The Media Excellence Awards were given this year to to SibaMohanty of The New Indian Express for Best Reporter (English), SandipPani for Best Reporter (Odia), Sanjib Das for Best Photo Journalist, Himanshu Guru for Best Feature Writer (English), Ranjan Rath for Best Feature (Odia) and Utkal G. Nanda for Best Cartoonist/Illustrator for categories in Print Media.
Similarly, Awards were given to Ajit Singh for Best Reporter, SitamMoharana for Best Video Journalist, Bhabani Shankar Mohapatra for Best Anchor (Male) and GayatriMohanty for Best Anchor (Female)for categories in electronic media. While BasudevMahapatra received the Best Web Journalist award, Sangram Mishra received the Best Radio Jockey Award. Besides, two special awards- Lifetime Achievement Award, which was given away to Sarat Mishra, while SubhraPriyadarshini received theOutstanding Journalism (atNational/International Level)
The first edition of this award ceremony ,Media@Change, a forum of media professionals in Odisha, was orgnaised, here on Friday.
The award distribution ceremony was preceded by a quiz for media students and a conclave. The theme of the conclave was “Muzzling the Media and the Future of Journalism.” State agriculture minister Dr.Damodar Rout, state Congress president Prasad Harichandan, Sambad editor SoumyaRanjan Patnaik, BJP senior leader Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Utkal Bharat president Kharabela Swain, Sandeep Mishra and Media Excellence Awards convenor Dikhya Tiwari were the speakers at the conclave.
