On Friday, the names of the winners of the National Grand Prize for Agricultural and Rural Journalism in its ninth edition were announced in Meknes during a ceremony held on the sidelines of the seventeenth edition of the International Agricultural Exhibition in Morocco, attended by government officials, professionals, and media representatives.
This year, the award saw participation from 71 journalistic works, comprising 53 in Arabic, 13 in French, 4 in Amazigh, and 1 in Spanish. These works were categorized into four main types: 29 in electronic journalism, 24 in print journalism, 10 in radio journalism, and 8 in television journalism.
The results of the judging panel resulted in the following winners:
Television Journalism Category
First Prize: Adel Benmoussa from Channel 2
Second Prize: Touba Elghzouni from the News Channel
Radio Category
First Prize: Samia El Moden from the National Radio
Second Prize: Said Hosni from the Amazigh Radio
Electronic Journalism Category
First Prize: Younes Abali from SNRT News website
Second Prize: Aziz Sidri from Benassa website
Print Journalism Category
First Prize: Mohammed Douma from Al Sahara Al Maghribiya newspaper
Second Prize: Mahfoud Ait Bensalah from Al Akhbar newspaper
A special jury award was also granted to journalist Mohamed Amin Akhbi from the Moroccan News Agency, in recognition of his outstanding work and valuable contributions.
The value of the first prize is 50,000 dirhams, while the second prize amounts to 35,000 dirhams, in addition to the special jury prize.
Judging Panel
The judging panel consisted of nine members representing various media and scientific institutions in Morocco, including:
Mukhtar Elghziwi (Secretary General of the National Association of Media and Publishers)
Mohammed Lghrouss (Director of Al Omq Al Maghribi newspaper)
Fouad Aarif (General Director of the Moroccan News Agency)
Salim Sheikh (General Director of Channel 2)
Abdel Latif Bennisfia (General Director of the Higher Institute of Media and Communication)
Nassr Eddin Elafrit (representing Media 24 website)
Nabila Belcheikh (representing Amazigh Al Alam newspaper)
Lamia Gouti (Director of Agricultural Research)
Fried Lachgui (Director of the Horticulture Complex in Agadir)
Minister of Agriculture: Media as a Strategic Partner in Rural Development
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests emphasized that the organization of this annual award since 2014 reflects the ministry’s commitment to support specialized journalism in the agricultural and rural fields, as well as to honor exceptional professional efforts that highlight farmers’ issues and activities related to this strategic sector.
In a speech on the occasion, the minister stated that the media plays a pivotal role in raising awareness, guiding, and addressing the challenges facing the sector, commending the quality of the participating works, and valuing the contribution of journalists in keeping pace with the transformations witnessed in rural areas. He indicated that the ministry will continue to support the award while urging an enhancement of journalists’ contributions to improvement in the agriculture and rural development domain.
Baitas: Moroccan Media Took Responsibility in Critical Moments
For his part, the government spokesperson, Mustafa Baitas, affirmed that the relationship between media and agriculture is one of interdependence and complementarity, stressing that national media has shown a high degree of responsibility, especially in sensitive moments, such as managing the water scarcity crisis.
Baitas stated that Moroccan media carried the message faithfully and succeeded in conveying accurate messages to citizens without exaggeration or minimization, adding that journalists play a crucial role in influencing and guiding alongside the political and technical spheres.
The spokesperson extended greetings of appreciation to all journalists and media professionals who engaged with professionalism and awareness in covering agricultural issues, commending their efforts in serving the public good and enhancing trust in institutions.
