The Kohima Press Club (KPC) Impact Journalism Award is the only award in Nagaland that is given to journalists in recognition of their outstanding professional work.

The Kohima Press Club established the Impact Journalism Award during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to acknowledge the contributions of media professionals: to motivate, inspire and encourage them to continue pursuing quality journalism while endeavouring for, and promoting social justice.

The pandemic did not leave anyone or any sector unaffected, including the news industry. It was during that difficult period, that many journalists, as frontline workers, delivered daring and exceptional work that resulted in governments taking action towards improving services and healthcare facilities for the people. Nagaland was no different. It was then that the Kohima Press Club decided to introduce an award recognizing the members of the Press fraternity in the state for excellence in journalism.

The Kohima Press Club Impact Journalism Award has now become a yearly event. The award consists of a citation and cash incentive. The process of selecting recipients runs for the preceding year, wherein, the work of potential candidates are scrutinized on the basis of the significance of the news story(ies), writing/reporting skills, efforts and originality of the journalist, and impact of the news story(ies), among other standards.

RECIPIENTS:

KPC Impact Journalism Award 2024: Imti Longchar

Imti Longchar started his career in journalism with The Northeast Herald, an English daily tabloid in 2005. He holds a post graduate degree in Literature from the University of Pune, Maharashtra. He is currently a Sub-Editor at The Morung Express.

The KPC Impact Journalism Award 2024 was conferred on him in recognition of his work which underscored the life and the struggles of those living close to the Indo-Myanmar international border, especially in the eastern district of Noklak. By reaching out to a people divided by man-made boundaries and isolated by geography, to experience the local genuine conditions and tell their stories to the world, Longchar has exemplified the essence of journalism.  

KPC Impact Journalism Award 2023: Dr. Moalemba Jamir

*Dr. Moalemba Jamir is an Associate Editor at The Morung Express. He holds a PhD and Master of Arts degree from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He graduated from Patkai Christian College, and is a Google News Initiative (GNI) India Training Network Trainer. The KPC recognized his work, particularly in shedding light on the digital competence of the state government departments in this age of ever advancing information technology and e-governance. Through his work, Jamir has carried out comprehensive assessments of government websites listed on Nagaland’s official state portal (https://nagaland.gov.in), evaluating whether they facilitate free access to information which is a cornerstone of transparency, accountability and good governance. His work has prompted many departments to leverage their technology and improve their performances in public domain.

KPC Impact Journalism Award 2022: Vishü Rita Krocha

Vishü Rita Krocha is a journalist, poet, author and publisher based in Kohima. She began her journalistic career in the year 2006 as a weekly columnist and subsequently joined a Nagaland-based English daily as a full-time correspondent. She has a master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and currently works as an independent journalist.

The KPC Impact Journalism Award 2022 was conferred to her in recognition of her exceptional contribution towards rural journalism. Her distinct insights in narrating the grassroots level success stories, especially those that highlight the life surrounding the agro-economy, social upliftment and entrepreneurship, have continued to keep the attention of the public and policymakers alike on the rural life which makes up more than half of the population of the state.

KPC Impact Journalism Award 2021: Imkong Walling

Imkong Walling has been engaged in the field of journalism since 2009, and is a Principal Correspondent at The Morung Express in Dimapur. He holds a post-graduate diploma in Mass Communication from the Institute of English & Foreign Languages, Shillong Campus, Meghalaya.

He was selected for the KPC Impact Journalism Award 2021 in recognition of his outstanding series of works in highlighting the problems in the power sector in Nagaland; electricity being a basic need and right of the citizens. He has gone out of his way to uncover anomalies in the sector by filing RTIs and how revenue loss in the sector were being created not just by general consumers alone but that many government officials/establishments were as much culpable. Besides the faults in the department, Walling has also highlighted positive sides including the potentials in the sector.

KPC Impact Journalism Award 2020: 1) Atono Tsükrü Kense, and 2) Toiying Sarah Na-am

Atono Kense and Sarah Na-am were the first recipients of the Kohima Press Club Impact Journalism Award. Although the former is a print journalist and the latter a broadcast journalist, they have both produced equally exceptional stories during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in action and redressal measures from the concerned authorities. One particular story they broke was of substandard medical kit being provided to healthcare workers at a government-designated COVID-19 hospital. Through their storytelling in their respective mediums, Kense and Na-am have made a difference. They represent a new generation of journalists focused on probing leads and bringing about positive change.

Kense is a working-mother. She has been associated with the media for almost 20 years. Na-am holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from NRAI School of Mass Communication, New Delhi, and a diploma in Public Relations & Advertising. She joined journalism as a profession in 2017 and is a correspondent for Northeast Live TV.