As an aspiring journalist, awards should never be your destination. If anything, they should be like fans cheering you on the marathon of your life’s work as you inform and educate the public.
Hardly anyone understands this better than the two inaugural winners of the Camer Today News Project (CTNP) Student Journalism Award. For them, the recognition they received at the Victoria International Media Merit Awards (VIIMMA) was only the first chapter of a much bigger journey.
As entries open for the 2026 edition at the Victoria International Media Merit Awards (VIMMA), feedback from the inaugural winners paints a picture of an experience that extended far beyond the award ceremony. Through a professional attachment with CTNP, they gained practical newsroom exposure, learned from seasoned media professionals, and developed the confidence to take the next step in their journalism careers.
Both participants rated the experience as “Very Good,” citing quality mentorship, a supportive team culture, and meaningful professional growth among the highlights of the programme.
“The knowledge I have gained during this internship will continue to guide me in my professional career,” one of the winners reflected.
Another participant credited the programme with broadening their understanding of journalism through interactions with media professionals from Cameroon and beyond. To her, this was thanks to the commitment of the team in bringing media professionals with experience nationally and internationally.
Perhaps most telling was how the winners described the team behind the programme.
“The warmth and humility shown by the entire team is a plus to the image of CTNP.” And in a simple but powerful reflection, another participant wrote: “Thank you all for believing in us and giving us a shot to experience and learn from you.”
When we conceived CTNP, the vision was never just to organise workshops or hand out awards. It was to build the kind of launchpad for journalism students that many of us never had. A place where young reporters could move beyond theory, gain practical newsroom experience, meet industry professionals, receive honest mentorship, and discover opportunities that would otherwise take years to find. It is an ecosystem we cannot build overnight but with every practical workshop we organise, every mentorship conversation we facilitate, every internship we offer, and every student whose confidence grows because someone believed in them, that vision is gradually coming to life.
Of course, the feedback wasn’t without criticism, and that’s exactly how we want it. The winners challenged us to create more face-to-face networking opportunities, organise more frequent virtual engagements, and provide more structured editorial feedback on stories. They also expressed interest in longer mentorship opportunities and expanded professional attachments. Their suggestions, alongside feedback from our partners and supporters, have directly influenced the design of this year’s programme.
Now open for entries, the CTNP Student Journalism Award at VIMMA 2026 invites journalism students and recent graduates to submit original feature stories under the theme “Smarter Reporting for Safer Communities.”
This year, the winners will receive much more than recognition. They will benefit from professional exposure, networking opportunities with editors and media leaders, mentorship, publication opportunities, and a paid professional attachment with CTNP. We are also introducing more in-person networking opportunities and, yes, a surprise or two. But I’ll resist the temptation to let the cat out of the bag just yet.
So if you are an undergraduate journalism student with a story that matters, don’t think of this as just another competition. Think of it as an opportunity to challenge yourself, sharpen your craft, grow your network, and perhaps begin your journalism journey.
Entries are now open and we can’t wait to read from you. Read the guidelines and submit your entry here