The country's best media personalities will be recognised this Saturday as the Fiji Achievement In Media Excellence Awards returns after a lapse of 17 years.
Chairman of the FAME Awards Organising Committee and Fiji Media Council independent board member, Shane Hussein says the judges went over 121 applications for the awards where they researched the issue extensively to be able to see how that application ranked with the general coverage of the particular issue.
While speaking on the significance of hosting the awards on the 6th of December, Hussein says 19 years ago, the people of Fiji woke up to see blank pages in the newspaper, and radio and TV news bulletins censored.
He says that was the start of what was to become a very difficult time for the media industry where media freedom was restricted and the journalists could not do the work they needed to do to keep the people of Fiji informed.
Hussein says it means a lot to the editors and the news heads to have the awards return on the same night that 19 years ago these rights were taken away from the media and from the people of Fiji.
He further says the FAME Awards will set a benchmark on good quality and high quality journalism in the country and journalists will be inspired to do even better to try and get the awards next year.
Hussein has also confirmed that there will be five inductees to the Fiji Media Hall of Fame Class of 2025 at the FAME Awards where five deserving individuals who have done a lot for the development and the growth of the media industry in Fiji and the wider Pacific, will be honoured.
The FAME Awards will be held at the Novotel Hotel in Lami on Saturday evening.
