SINGAPORE - The Straits Times won Story of the Year for a news story on the controversial name of a revamped war museum at Singapore Press Holdings' annual journalism awards for its English/Malay/Tamil Media (EMTM) group.
The report that led to the renaming of the museum bagged the top award for heritage and community correspondent Melody Zaccheus.
The National Archives of Singapore showcase had been named Syonan Gallery: War and Its Legacies, sparking a public outcry over the use of the word "Syonan".
It was later renamed as Surviving the Japanese Occupation: War and its Legacies.
The other two top prizes went to a veteran journalist with The Business Times and a young reporter from The New Paper - BT's Jamie Lee won the Journalist of the Year award, while TNP's Mohammad Hariz Baharudin took Young Journalist of the Year.
Here is the list of winners at the EMTM Annual Awards 2017.
1. Journalist of the Year
The Business Times
2. Young Journalist of the Year
The New Paper
3. Story of the Year
Melody Zaccheus for her story "Revamped war museum's name sparks questions" (The Straits Times, Feb 10, 2017)
Excellence in Journalism
1. Yime Benites Puelles, Rodolfo Carlos Pazos, Chew Hui Min & Rebecca Viviana Pazos for their cross media story "The anatomy of cancer" (The Straits Times, Jan 17, 2017)
2. Audrey Tan & Aileen Teo for their cross media story:
- "They heard their dead daughter's beating heart"
- "Couple who lost daughter to meet Singaporean woman who received the teen's heart" (The Straits Times - Digital, Sept 12 & 16, 2017)
3. Kalpana Rashiwala, Isaac Netto & Nessa Anwar for their video "Crème De La Crème: What is a Good Class Bungalow" (The Business Times Weekend, Feb 25-26, 2017)
4. Michael M Dizon, Tang Wee Cheow, Tien Chung Ping & Ng Jun Sen for their infographics "What could have happened" (The Straits Times, July 15, 2017)
5. Tan Hui Yee for her stories:
- "Rakhine clashes matched by social media war" (Aug 30)
- "Humanitarian effort by Asean a possibility" (Sept 7)
- "Did Rohingya set fire to their homes?" (Sept 10)
- "Suu Kyi risks losing ground to military over Rakhine crisis" (Sept 15)
- "Myanmar ready to let Rohingya return: Suu Kyi" (Sept 20)
- "Dhaka to press Myanmar on refugee issue" (Sept 23)
- Bangladesh will step up international pressure for repatriation of Rohingya: Minister
- "Nobody's people: Uncertain future for Rohingyas in Bangladesh" (Sept 24)
- "Housing Asia's working masses: A starter home to keep his dream alive" (Sept 26)
- "Keeping tensions at bay in Rohingya tent city" (Oct 3)
Online blog
- "Rohingya crisis: When only one side is heard, everybody loses" (The Straits Times/The Sunday Times - Foreign, Aug 30, Sept 7, 10, 15, 20, 23, 24 & 26 and Oct 3, 2017)
6. Janice Tai, Tan Khim Yong, Fraemone Wee, Ho Ai Li, Neo Xiaobin, Ashleigh Sim, Aileen Teo, Alexis Gabrielle, Denise Chong, Rodolfo Carlos Pazos, Kao Chih Hui, Chee Wei Xian, Rebecca Viviana Pazos for their story package "No one dies alone":
- Volunteers who ensure no one dies alone (Dec 10, 2017)
- Never alone (Dec 10, 2017)
- Who was Mr Tay (Dec 10, 2017)
- Who wants to stare death in the face? (Dec 10, 2017)
- Finding closure (Dec 10, 2017)
- Last mile (Dec 11, 2017)
- Being present is the best present (Dec 11, 2017)
- Bedside angels (Dec 11, 2017)
(The Straits Times, Backbench, Dec 10, Dec 11, The Straits Times - Digital, Dec 10)
7. Patrick Jonas for his story "Man who created fish head curry" (Tabla!, Dec 8, 2017)
8. Nur Adilah Mahbob for excellence in news reporting for her stories:
- "Penyiaran dan filem di pelbagai wadah diteliti" [Film and broadcasting on various platforms will be reviewed]
- "Ekonomi digital tawar peluang menarik bagi warga" [Digital economy offers interesting opportunities for citizen]
- "Keyakinan Melayu terserlah, sedang cabaran giat ditangani" [Malay exudes confidence while finding solutions to challenges]
- "Kemahiran tangani kepelbagaian dalam agama diperlukan" [Skills needed to deal with diversity in religion]
- "Bergelut emosi untuk terima perubahan EP" [Struggle with emotion to accept changes in EP]
- "Yaacob tidak lihat diri jadi Presiden" [Yaacob does not see himself become President]
- "Badan Melayu perlu percepat proses pembaharuan kepimpinan" [Malay bodies need to quickly undergo renewal leadership process]
- "Perlu ada dua hingga tiga asatizah berpotensi jadi Mufti" [Need to have two to three potential religious teachers to be Mufti] (Berita Harian/Berita Minggu, January 7 & 8, 2017)
9. Vivien Shiao for her feature "The other side of the economy" (The Business Times, Dec 30, 2017)
10. Manuel Aenlle Francisco for his illustration "Trump's dangerous vision of the Middle East" (The Straits Times - Art, Dec 11, 2017)
11. Tan Khim Yong, Manuel Aenlle Francisco, Celestino Gulapa D Rosario, Lim Yong & Chng Choon Hiong for their layout "IMPACT. Impact Journalism Day" (The Straits Times, June 24, 2017)
12. Ong Wee Jin, Mark Cheong, Rodolfo Carlos Pazos, Yime Benites Puelles & Chee Wei Xian for their interactive infographics "Can you spot yourself at the NDP?" (The Straits Times, Aug 11, 2017)
