MTN engages The Guardian Post staff on Y’ello Press Awards.

MTN officials said the discussion was to boost submissions for the competition and update the media house on the telecoms company’s Y’ello kiosk for the electronic sales of newspapers.

To note that the Y’llo Press Awards was launched on April 30, 2026, as part of activities marking World Press Freedom Day, celebrated globally every May 3. 

It is being organised by MTN Cameroon in partnership with the Federation of Newspaper Publishers, FEDIPRESSE, under the patronage of the Ministry of Communication, MINCOM. 

MTN Cameroon Public Relations and External Communication Specialist, Farida Ossele, explained that the awards are to celebrate professionalism, creativity and impactful journalism while encouraging higher editorial standards in the print media.

Ossele revisited the categories for the award viz; the Golden Pen, Best Investigative Report, Best Human Interest Story, Best Feature Profile, Photojournalism Award, Promising Young Pen, Best Print Media Outlet and the Y’ello Kiosk Special Prize.

She restated that winners will share prize worth over 11 million FCFA. She said the Golden Pen Award will honour consistency, originality, quality and regularity. 

In this category, she said candidates are expected to submit ten articles demonstrating a distinctive writing style, consistency and editorial excellence.

The Best Investigative Report, Ossele said, seeks to reward journalists or editorial teams whose works have significantly contributed to public debate and has strong social impact.

The Best Reporting Award, MTN officials noted, is for outstanding reportage characterised by compelling storytelling, rich field observations and meaningful civic contribution. Journalists competing in this category, Ossele, are expected to submit five reports.

They Ossele-led team added that the awards will also celebrate feature writing through the Best Feature Profile category, which honours well-crafted personality profiles combining strong narrative techniques with journalistic depth.

The Human Interest category, she went on, will reward ordinary stories told in an extraordinary way while highlighting their impact on communities.

Meanwhile, the Photojournalism category, she stated, is to honour photojournalists who demonstrate excellence, narrative strength and emotional impact.

Competitors, she said, are expected to submit a portfolio comprising ten published photographs.

The Promising Young Pen Award, the MTN external communication official noted, is reserved for journalism students. She said participants must submit two published articles and an attestation to show they are enrolled in an institution.

In the media company category, MTN officials said the jury will be looking to award the best newspaper based on consistency, regularity, quality of content and digital innovation through the Y’ello Kiosk platform.

The Y’ello Kiosk Special Prize, they team said, will be won by the media house that has exceptionally promoted the digital news platform especially in terms of audience engagement.

MTN Y’ello kiosk gaining ground 

The visit also provided an opportunity for MTN Cameroon to engage The Guardian Post on the operational aspects of the Y’ello kiosk digital platform.

Leading the digital session, MTN Cameroon Senior Manager for Digital Marketing, Roger Andang, talked about strategies to maximise the platform’s visibility and improve audience engagement. 

Concerns raised regarding the use of the platform were addressed. Andang addressed especially aspects relating to content publication, technical functionalities and user experience. He also provided guidance aimed at improving use of the digital service.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3871 of Friday August 07, 2026