Print Media South Africa (PMSA) has honoured Peter Sullivan with a Print Media Fellowship for his determination, dedication and integrity in a passionate drive for the betterment of the South African newspaper industry.

He was presented with the fellowship at the ninth annual Mondi Shanduka Newspaper Awards hosted in Johannesburg on Wednesday, May 5.

In his varied and distinguished 28-year career, Sullivan has held several posts on a number of South African newspapers, culminating in his appointment as editor of The Saturday Star and then The Star between 1995 and 2001. In a period of immense change in the country's political landscape, he led a paper that played a major role in the early transformation of South Africa as it moved into a new, all-inclusive democracy.

Following his editorship of The Star, he held the position of editor-in-chief at Independent Newspapers, which included his representation on several industry bodies. It is his contribution and commitment in this arena that earned him the fellowship.

Sullivan played an important role in the following bodies, ensuring that they played their rightful role in securing the future of the newspaper industry:

• PMSA board  member
• MAPPP-SETA board member
• Director of the South African Advertising Research Foundation (1996 to 2003)
• Chairman of the PMSA press freedom committee (2003)
• Chairman of the PMSA awards committee (2005 to May 2010)
• Member of the Press Council, where he played critical role in ensuring the proper functioning of the new Ombudsman's office and the workings of the appeals committee
• A member of the Industry Panel of the Advertising Standards Authority
• A member of the PMSA Research Committee