CENTURION – Journalists from Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo came together in Centurion on Thursday and Friday, September 17 and 18, for the Forum of Community Journalists’ (FCJ) No Guts, No Glory 2026 Regional Seminar.
Hosted at the AVBOB Head Office in Centurion, the two-day event combined a visit to the AVBOB Aquamation Centre as well as a programme of professional development sessions covering video storytelling, election reporting, media accountability, investigative journalism and industry support.
The regional seminar provided FCJ members with an opportunity to engage with experienced media professionals while focusing on some of the issues facing journalists and newsrooms during an election period.
Aquamation Centre visit
The first day included a visit to the AVBOB Aquamation Centre in Pretoria West, where Adriaan Bester, AVBOB’s General Manager: Corporate Affairs and an Executive for Funeral Products and Services, hosted FCJ members.
Bester took members through the facility and explained aquamation, an alternative to traditional flame cremation that uses water, heat and an alkaline solution to accelerate the natural decomposition process.
The process takes place inside a pressurised stainless-steel chamber, with the organic material broken down and the remaining bone minerals processed into a fine powder and returned to the family.
AVBOB describes aquamation as a more environmentally friendly alternative, citing more than 90% energy savings compared with flame cremation and a carbon footprint of around one-tenth that of the traditional process.
Adriaan Bester, AVBOB General Manager: Corporate Affairs and Executive for Funeral Products and Services, addresses FCJ members during the discussion at the AVBOB Aquamation Centre in Pretoria West. Photo: Wayne van der Walt
Focus on election reporting
Friday’s programme began with the arrival of guests and other members at the AVBOB Head Office, followed by tea and coffee before the formal sessions got under way.
Dr André Gouws, judges’ convener of the FCJ Excellence Awards, opened the day’s programme with a 90-minute workshop on how to tell video stories about the local government elections.
The session focused on video storytelling at a time when local government elections place increased demands on journalists to communicate information clearly and effectively across different platforms.
Gouws was followed by William Bird, director of Media Monitoring Africa, who addressed electoral regulations, accountability and ethical reporting.
Attendees during the regional seminar held in Centurion.
His session placed the responsibilities of journalists within the broader context of elections, with a focus on accurate, accountable and ethical reporting.
After lunch, the programme turned to investigative journalism.
Kyle Cowan of the News24 investigative team presented a session titled “Investigative journalism in a time of elections and commission inquiries.”
Cowan is a twice-named joint winner of the prestigious Taco Kuiper Award for investigative journalism.
The session brought investigative journalism into the context of elections and commission inquiries, highlighting another area of reporting that can require journalists to work with complex information and conduct detailed investigations.
Support for the media industry
The final session was presented by Sebenzile Nkambule, a member of the Oversight and Advisory Board for the Digital News Transformation Fund (DNTF) and regional director for Africa & Middle East at the Media Development Investment Fund.
Nkambule spoke about the DNTF and industry support, providing members with information on the fund and the broader support available to the media industry.
The formal seminar programme concluded at 15:00.
Across the two days, the FCJ regional seminar brought together members from Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo for a combination of professional development, industry engagement and networking.
The programme also reflected the changing demands placed on journalists, with sessions spanning traditional reporting responsibilities such as electoral accountability and ethics, as well as video storytelling, investigative journalism and opportunities for support within the media industry.
FCJ Deputy Executive Director and Gauteng Director Marietta Lombard thanked all the members who attended and contributed to the seminar, as well as the guest speakers for generously sharing their knowledge, expertise and experience with FCJ members.
She expressed her appreciation for the valuable insights and perspectives brought to the programme, which contributed to making the seminar a meaningful and enriching experience for those who attended.
Lombard also thanked AVBOB for its generous support in making the event possible, their hospitality and for welcoming FCJ members to its head office and Aquamation Centre as part of the two-day programme.
During the proceedings, Lombard also paid tribute to the late Fanie Mthupha, the news editor of the Boksburg Advertiser and Benoni City Times, who tragically died on September 13.
A moment of silence was observed in his memory.
See some of the highlights in pictures below:
