Best newspapers in running for awards

The three categories include - urban dailies with a circulation above 50 000, urban dailies with a circulation below 50 000 and urban weeklies, irrespective of circulation.

Finalists

• Finalists in Frewin award (above 50 000) are Beeld and Die Burger, with the Cape Argus getting a commendation
• Finalists in McCall award (50 000 or less) are Die Volksblad and The Mercury; commended: Daily News and The Witness
• Finalists in Joel Mervis award (urban weekly newspapers) are City Press and Mail & Guardian; commended: Naweek Beeld, Rapport and Sunday Independent

Technology noted

Commenting on the influence of technology on newspaper production, convenor Clive Loxton, creative faculty head of the AAA School of Advertising, said, "With several teams having reworked the 'look' of their offerings, it is obvious that computer programmes are having a major effect on the craft. However, the computer is just a sophisticated tool; the main benefit of which is to speed things up and make things easier to achieve. It will never replace the 'eye' of a craftsman."

Loxton was supported during the judging process by Linda Rademan, lecturer at AAA School of Advertising; Logan Naidu, learnerships and apprenticeships specialist at MAPPP-SETA; and Tebogo Serobatse, head of department at the National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa (NEMISA).

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