SINGAPORE: Channel NewsAsia's digital team scooped two out of five awards at the Mediacorp News Awards on Friday (Apr 20) with in-depth digital features that struck a chord with readers.
Tides That Bind - an interactive special rolled out in November 2017 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 2007 Singapore dragonboat tragedy - was named Digital Feature Story of the Year.
CNA Insider took home the News Story of the Year accolade, for its story spotlighting the plight of Singapore's elderly poor.
The Tides That Bind special took Channel NewsAsia senior digital journalist Justin Ong back to Phnom Penh, almost 10 years after five of his teammates drowned while representing Singapore in a dragonboat race.
In taking on the project, Mr Ong said he hoped it would "set the record straight when it came to the events of November 23, 2007", and "that it would help parents of the departed heal, knowing their children are not forgotten and their deaths were not in vain - for the community and sport of dragonboat has both learnt its lesson and grown tremendously".
AdvertisementAdvertisement"My personal account was just one out of five stories. The core of this project is still that of my five late teammates, and I’m glad I had an extremely capable team to help see through a story that I truly believe is of nationwide importance," he said.
Channel NewsAsia visual journalist Gayathiri Chandramohan, who worked on the photos and footage of the project, said the hardest part was imagining the hardship of the families who lost their loved ones in the tragedy.
"The journey to tell their story was not without obstacle but every decision we made regarding the project, we made with the families of the men in mind."
The others involved in the project were digital news deputy chief editor David Bottomley, supervising editor Chung Lyn-Yi, visual journalist Howard Law, web programmer Calvin Chia and graphic designer Kenneth Choy.
Channel NewsAsia supervising editor for digital news/features Yvonne Lim who received the award on behalf of the team for News Story of the Year. (Photo: Jeremy Long)
On winning the News Story of the Year award, Channel NewsAsia supervising editor, Digital News/Features Yvonne Lim said it is a "team effort for CNA Insider, both past and present".
"I'm constantly amazed at the impact that this story continues to have, even a year after we've run the story. Everybody remembers who the ice-cream uncle is," said Ms Lim.
Tides That Bind - an interactive special rolled out in November 2017 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 2007 Singapore dragonboat tragedy - was named Digital Feature Story of the Year.
CNA Insider took home the News Story of the Year accolade, for its story spotlighting the plight of Singapore's elderly poor.
The Tides That Bind special took Channel NewsAsia senior digital journalist Justin Ong back to Phnom Penh, almost 10 years after five of his teammates drowned while representing Singapore in a dragonboat race.
In taking on the project, Mr Ong said he hoped it would "set the record straight when it came to the events of November 23, 2007", and "that it would help parents of the departed heal, knowing their children are not forgotten and their deaths were not in vain - for the community and sport of dragonboat has both learnt its lesson and grown tremendously".
AdvertisementAdvertisement"My personal account was just one out of five stories. The core of this project is still that of my five late teammates, and I’m glad I had an extremely capable team to help see through a story that I truly believe is of nationwide importance," he said.
Channel NewsAsia visual journalist Gayathiri Chandramohan, who worked on the photos and footage of the project, said the hardest part was imagining the hardship of the families who lost their loved ones in the tragedy.
"The journey to tell their story was not without obstacle but every decision we made regarding the project, we made with the families of the men in mind."
The others involved in the project were digital news deputy chief editor David Bottomley, supervising editor Chung Lyn-Yi, visual journalist Howard Law, web programmer Calvin Chia and graphic designer Kenneth Choy.
On winning the News Story of the Year award, Channel NewsAsia supervising editor, Digital News/Features Yvonne Lim said it is a "team effort for CNA Insider, both past and present".
"I'm constantly amazed at the impact that this story continues to have, even a year after we've run the story. Everybody remembers who the ice-cream uncle is," said Ms Lim.