HDB homes in 3D, unsolved mysteries podcast win gold for ST at Digital Media Awards Asia
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SPH Media two gold and two silver awards at the 14th Digital Media Awards Asia on Nov 3, 2022.
PHOTOS: ST DIGITAL, FELINE LIM
SINGAPORE - The Straits Times was among the biggest winners at this year’s Digital Media Awards Asia.
Both ST and Malaysian broadcaster Astro Awani were each presented two gold and two silver awards at a ceremony held on Thursday at Novotel Singapore on Stevens Road.
One of ST’s gold award winners is a visual story about how the space and design of Housing Board (HDB) flats have changed over the decades to match societal and lifestyle changes.
The story, which compares two HDB flats one built in the 1970s, and the other in the 2020s
ST interactive graphics editor Rodolfo Carlos Pazos, who was part of an eight-man team behind the piece, said: “As we discussed the story idea, we knew that it had visual potential immediately, as opposed to just using words to write about it.”
“With the help of 3-D animation, we were better able to show readers how design within HDB flats evolved over the years.
“Looking for old floor plans and condensing information was not easy, but ultimately we were satisfied with how the visuals blended with the narrative.”
ST editor Jaime Ho said: “Awards are an important recognition of the work that newsrooms do on a daily basis. These digital media awards have added significance, and will encourage us to continue working across digital platforms to reach our audiences where they are.”
Organised by the World Association of News Publishers (Wan-Ifra) and sponsored by Japanese electronics company Panasonic, the awards recognise publishers that have adopted digital media and mobile strategies in response to how people consume news and information.
ST’s other gold award winner is a five-part podcast series on South-east Asia’s unsolved mysteries
The series revisits events such as the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, and a spate of mass hysteria incidents among schoolgirls in Malaysia’s north-eastern Kelantan state.
Podcast editor Ernest Luis said the episode he most enjoyed working on was about the supposed ghost ship SS Ourang Medan, which was said to have vanished in the Strait of Malacca.
“We got to play different characters, and translate whatever was being said from Bahasa Indonesia to English, having to adopt different voices and tones to play characters such as the ship’s captain or an Indonesian admiral. It was very interesting.”
(From left) ST interactive graphics editor Rodolfo Carlos Pazos, business editor Poon Chian Hui and podcast editor Ernest Luis with their trophies during the Asian Digital Media Awards on Nov 3, 2022.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Two other ST interactive stories – one which uses flower petals to represent the five million lives lost to the Covid-19 pandemic, the price of fried oyster omelette rose as a result of the Ukraine war
Other award recipients here and in the region include Mediacorp, CNN Indonesia, Tatler and Nikkei Asia.
SPH Media is the strategic partner for the Digital Media Awards Asia, with ST as its media partner.
ST’s winning entries
1. Best Lifestyle or Sports Site - Gold
How have Singaporean homes changed over the decades?
Thumbnail for HDB interactive on how the design of HDB flats has evolved over the years.
PHOTO: ST DIGITAL
What it is: To show how Housing Board flats have evolved over the years to suit Singaporeans’ changing lifestyle needs and wants, this interactive compares homes built in different periods – one in the 2020s and another in the 1970s.
2. Best Podcast / Digital Audio Project - Gold
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia series
PHOTO: ST DIGITAL
What it is: A five-part podcast series that dives into some of the greatest unsolved mysteries in the region, such as the disappearance of flight MH370 and Mekong River’s “serpent” fire.
3. Best Lifestyle or Sports Site - Silver
How the Ukraine war is making a popular Singaporean dish more expensive
Hawker Fang Lin Xia who runs Golden Chopsticks food stall and has raised the price of her fried oyster omelette in March, photographed at Bukit Timah Market in Singapore on May 6, 2022.
ST PHOTO: FELINE LIM
What it is: To help readers make sense of the impact of the Ukraine war, this interactive looked at the rising costs of ingredients for fried oyster omelette or orh luak.
4. Best Special Project for Covid-19 - Silver
Remembering the 5 million lives lost to Covid-19
Thumbnail for 5 million Covid-19 deaths for ST Interactive
PHOTO: ST DIGITAL
What it is: Flower-shaped charts were used to illustrate the ever-increasing death toll due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The flowers were also a tribute to those whose lives were cut short by the virus.
