The Cádiz Press Association (APC) and the Cajasol Foundation award the XXIX Agustín Merello Prize for Communication to the journalist Fernando Santiago Muñoz (1958). With this award, created in memory of the late journalist Agustín Merello, it seeks to distinguish information professionals, entities and institutions that stand out for their journalistic and human values in the performance of their work, the APC reported in a statement.
Santago explained to the SER that “it is a very great honor, because of the jury that has given it, because it is granted by my Association, because it bears the name of a great friend, because I succeed another friend.” At the same time, he has expressed his memory for the journalist José Maria Calleja, who died last April, very close to Cádiz and who received the APC award in 1994.
The jury highlighted that “Fernando Santiago was one of the first journalists to use a blog as a way to develop his profession. His blog Con la venia, hosted on the Joly Group’s digital media, has become a local and regional reference, and has complemented conventional journalism by providing information, interpretation and a variety of its own content that reflects almost all journalistic genres. “
The choice was made by a jury made up of Kitty Pastor, Mercedes de Pablos, Francisco Correal, María del Mar Díez, José María Izquierdo acting as president, and Taite Cortés as secretary. They have unanimously considered the trajectory and tireless work of Fernando Santiago, who accumulates all the values that the Agustín Merello Prize for Communication seeks to recognize.
Fernando Santiago has been the visible face of Cadiz journalists for 12 years. His repeated terms as president were characterized by the notable increase in the entity’s institutional presence. From the hand of Fernando Santiago came improvements such as the completion of the current headquarters or the celebration of the Festival for Freedom of Expression that brought together 10,000 people in the Plaza de San Antonio. Along the same lines, Santiago marked the path of belligerence in the face of injustices and the precariousness of the journalistic profession. Fernando Santiago is head of the Video Service of the Diputación de Cádiz; department that has obtained numerous awards and recognitions.
The jury for the award wanted to acknowledge the contribution that the media professionals have made during the State of Alarm. Journalism in these months, both written, radio and audiovisual, has been claimed as more necessary than ever, both as a source of information in times of uncertainty and as entertainment. In addition, all of them have carried out the work in exceptional conditions, where professionalism and trade have made up for the technical difficulties of confinement.
The APC has 29 consecutive editions of the Agustín Merello award. The award is endowed with a cash prize of 3,000 euros sponsored by the Cajasol Foundation, as well as an accrediting diploma designed by the Cádiz poet Rafael Alberti. Previous winners include information professionals such as Soledad Gallego Díaz, Matías Prats, Luis Del Olmo, Iñaki Gabilondo and John Carlin; writers of the stature of José Saramago or entities such as La Casa de los Periodistas de Paris.
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