SINGAPORE - When Mr Daryl Lim, a reporter at Lianhe Zaobao, learnt that Malaysians were being targeted by crime syndicates to work as scammers in Cambodia, he knew he had to produce a news video to bring the victims’ ordeal to light.
Together with four colleagues, the 34-year-old set up interviews with victims who had managed to escape with the help of the Global Anti-Scam Organisation (Gaso). They also travelled to Sihanoukville, in Cambodia, to film the compounds of the syndicates.
For their work, the team received the Best News Video prize on Friday at SPH Media’s annual Chinese Media Group (CMG) News Awards ceremony held at the News Centre Auditorium in Toa Payoh.
Said Mr Lim after receiving the award: “I just want to educate our audiences that such scams are coming very close to home.”
Ms Lu Lingzhi’s 11-member team won in the Best Digital Story award for detailing how climate change had impacted everyday Singaporeans, including some fishermen.
The 33-year-old journalist took three months to complete her piece, which she hoped would make her Chinese-speaking readers more aware of the insidious effects of climate change.
Ms Ho Sheo Be, 52, Lianhe Zaobao’s political editor, bagged the Best Scoop award for her report detailing parliamentary seating changes among the fourth-generation leaders.
All the awards were presented in person for the first time after three years of the Covid-19 pandemic.
SPH Media Trust chairman Khaw Boon Wan and SPH Media Group chief executive Teo Lay Lim presented the awards to the winners.
The judging panel for the awards was chaired by Ms Lee Huay Leng, editor-in-chief of CMG and included other senior editors.
Speaking at the event, Ms Lee highlighted how Zaobao managed to exceed its viewership targets amid SPH Media’s restructuring, amassing eight million readers globally by the end of December 2022. It had set targets of reaching five million readers by 2022 and seven million by 2024.
She also highlighted CMG’s initiatives to reach younger audiences. For example, the group launched HeyKaki in 2022 to engage young adults under 34. Working with influencers, it creates videos and memes that are shared on social media platforms.
Reminding colleagues to stay on top of digital transformation in the media, Ms Lee urged reporters to develop new ways of working, saying: “Embrace new ideas and concepts, replace outdated practices, and take calculated risks.
“Importantly, we have to be clear about our mission, our direction and our goals. What are we aiming to achieve?”
