17 days until the 3rd edition of the gala of Media Club Awards 2025, The journalist and social activist Clemente Carlos, nominated in the "Communicator and Digital Influencer" category, took to his social media to address a... Open letter to the event organizers, appealing for transparency and auditability in the voting process.
In the letter, Clemente begins by acknowledging the merit of the initiative of Media Club, highlighting the important role the award plays in valuing Mozambican communicators and media outlets, both traditional and digital. However, the journalist expresses legitimate concern about how the voting process unfolds, which, according to him, lacks greater clarity and public oversight.
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“We live in an increasingly digital world, where technology offers advanced tools for electronic voting that is auditable and verifiable in real time. Given this, the choice of secrecy in a process that, by its very nature, should be public and transparent, is incomprehensible,” he wrote.
The journalist emphasizes that charging for votes alters the nature of participation, transforming it into a kind of gamble, which further justifies the need for transparency.
“When voting has a cost, the process ceases to be merely symbolic participation—it becomes, in a way, a gamble. And, as with any gamble, participants hope to be able to follow the trend of the game, to understand and accept the final result with confidence.”
To support his argument, Clemente cites the example of Ngoma Mozambique, a music contest that allows voters to follow the evolution of votes in real time — a model that, according to him, reinforces the credibility and trust of the public.
“As an example, we can mention Ngoma Moçambique, an initiative that rewards Mozambican musicians and allows voters to follow the progress of the votes in real time.”
Clement's appeal ends with a direct request to Media Club to consider adopting a more transparent and auditable system, emphasizing that transparency "does not weaken, but strengthens" any institution that rewards merit and credibility in the Mozambican media ecosystem.
THE Open letter Clemente Carlos's comments have been generating discussion on social media, with various communication professionals and citizens sharing opinions on the need for greater clarity in the voting processes for national awards initiatives.
