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 – in 3-D lets readers see how flat designs varied by the decade, giving insight into how people lived at different times.
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 - a collaboration with ST’s foreign correspondents.
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.”
Two other ST interactive stories – one which uses flower petals to represent the five million lives lost to the Covid-19 pandemic, and another that explores how the price of fried oyster omelette rose as a result of the Ukraine war – won the silver award in their respective categories.
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
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
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
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
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.
