Young duo behind viral political explainer videos win top prize at SPH journalism awards

SINGAPORE – What began as an effort to make politics accessible and engaging to young Singaporeans during the 2025 General Election quickly became a viral success for journalists Wong Yang and Christie Chiu.

The duo from The Straits Times, better known as “Gerry and Mandy” on the publication’s social media platforms, fronted ST’s explainer video series on politics and current affairs during the election.

The series took an entertaining approach to make complex news topics accessible and informative, melding deep reporting and research with a Gen Z sensibility.

Mr Wong, 26, and Ms Chiu, 25, on May 5 won the Editor-in-Chief Award at SPH Media’s annual English, Malay and Tamil Media (EMTM) Group award ceremony.

The pair, who also won ST’s Young Journalist of the Year award, said they were especially grateful to their supervisor Danson Cheong and colleagues who pushed them and placed their trust in them.

Their video team includes Ms Farzanah Friday, Ms Vera Ang and Mr Chong Lii.

The ceremony took place at the SPH Media auditorium in Toa Payoh North.

Ms Chiu recalled her most memorable video in the series, on young voters and why their vote matters, which broke down the importance of voting.

“In conversation with our own friends, we found that some young people can be quite disillusioned about the local (voting) system and feel that there’s no point in voting,” she said.

“We broke down moments when elected MPs spoke up about certain issues and enacted change,” added Ms Chiu, noting that this extended to everyday concerns such as owning cats in Housing Board flats.

She said the video sparked nuanced and productive dialogue in the comment sections.

Mr Wong said that because of their content, people have recognised the duo on the street. “It is very nice that people come to us with feedback and compliments. We really appreciate it.”

People have told him that the videos have changed their perceptions of ST and Singapore politics, he added.

ST’s Story of the Year award went to Vaping: The Invisible Crisis, which cast a spotlight on the scourge of vapes.

Launched in July 2025, the anti-vaping campaign spanned multiple platforms, from news stories to videos and photos, with the aim of educating the public about the dangers of drug-laced vapes.

The team approached the topic from various angles, including the perspective of families that failed to wean their loved ones off the addiction and how pervasive vaping had become in schools.

The idea first came to ST deputy news editor Andre Yeo during a holiday in the UK in late 2023, when he was shocked at seeing people openly vaping with their children and streets lined with vape shops.

“In Singapore, vaping had been banned since 2018. But there were still gaps in the system, and more had to be done before more people got addicted to it,” said the 53-year-old.

“There were videos of people staggering around on MRT trains like zombies,” Mr Yeo added, giving him a sense of urgency to make the campaign happen.

The Government later tightened controls, listing etomidate as a drug amid a surge in reports of young people using vapes laced with it.

This allowed the authorities to introduce tougher penalties to deal with those who abuse and traffic it.

ST’s Journalist of the Year award went to correspondent Ng Wei Kai for elevating the paper’s coverage of GE2025 with exclusive reporting and analyses.

In the years prior, he built a network of sources, which he tapped ahead of the hustings to deepen his reporting.

The 30-year-old said: “All the work does not just happen during that period. It is the years before that.

“When the election came around, any success we had was a validation of the work done years before, and work done behind the scenes.”

Mr Ng also started Unpacked, a weekly newsletter on politics and policy, with ST assistant news editor Goh Yan Han.

Mr Wong Wei Kong, editor-in-chief of the EMTM Group at SPH Media, said: “Formats and platforms will change, and audience behaviours will shift.

“But strong journalism in all its different forms is needed more than ever in the fractured world we are living in.

“And it is important that we continue to recognise and celebrate the journalism that defines us.”

ST editor Jaime Ho added: “2025 was a major year for us in Singapore and at The Straits Times.

“Our winners this year reflect the importance of our mission that guided us through the year – to create meaningful and lasting impact with our work and to remain relevant to the people we serve.

“We are proud to recognise the good work that our newsroom has put in, and we will continue to strive towards excellence in reaching readers wherever they are.”

A total of 19 awards were handed out across six EMTM newsrooms – ST, Berita Harian, The Business Times, Tech in Asia, SPH Radio and Tamil Murasu.

Winners of the SPH EMTM annual awards

Editor-in-Chief Award

The Straits Times

Berita Harian

The Business Times

Tech in Asia

SPH Radio

Tamil Murasu