Zhou Li (back, 5th right), deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily Group and publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily Asia Pacific, poses for photos with award winners at the prize presentation ceremony of the 2020 Hong Kong News Awards in Hong Kong on Aug 4, 2020. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)
China Daily reporters and news editors were among the winners at the city’s prestigious annual news awards ceremony, held on Wednesday to mark their achievements and “positive and irreplaceable” contributions to society amid the pandemic.
Addressing the 2020 Hong Kong News Awardsceremony, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po lauded local newspapers for helping the city become an international innovation and technology hub under the nation’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25). The “professional, fair, objective and balanced” media are guardians of the free flow of high-quality information, a crucial element for innovation, he said.
China Daily journalists scooped up 11 awards across nine categories out of the 75 awards in 17 categories this year. The winners continued their tradition of lining up their obelisk- shaped trophies on the ground before them to take a group photo. The cheerful mood was barely affected by the socialdistancing rules at the venue and simplified process of this year’s ceremony. Last year’s event was canceled because of the outbreak.
The “professional, fair, objective and balanced” media are guardians of the free flow of high-quality information, a crucial element for innovation, said Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po
China Daily Hong Kong now has received awards in the contest for 11 straight years, scooping up 95 wins in that time.
IN PHOTOS: China Daily journalists honored at Hong Kong News Awards
A total of 607 entries were submitted by 12 Chinese- and English-language newspapers in Hong Kong that competed for the awards, handed out by the Newspaper Society of Hong Kong.
Chan said he was pleased to see that a number of entries focused on crucial issues for Hong Kong, such as the postpandemic economic recovery and geopolitics. They have provided government officials with unique and forward-looking analyses to reflect on Hong Kong’s future development, he added.
Keith Kam Woon-ting, chairman of the Newspaper Society of Hong Kong, said these highquality print stories showed that the city’s journalists and editors were making “positive and irreplaceable” contributions to society by sticking to their professional mission of seeking the truth at a difficult time.
Kam, who is also the chief operating officer of Ming Pao Holdings, praised the prize-winning stories, saying that they provided readers with immediate information and detailed analyses from an objective and impartial perspective and with a profound reflection on social issues.
The COVID-19 pandemic has dominated the subjects of this year’s winning entries.
China Daily journalists He Shusi and Willa Wu, both of whom wrote a feature story reflecting the front-line battle against the coronavirus, were the winner and first runner-up respectively in the Best News Writing (English) category.
China Daily Hong Kong now has received awards in the contest for 11 straight years, scooping up 95 wins in that time
Taking a photo with the display board showcasing her story, Wu said she was heartened to see so much excellent reporting from her peers in the wake of the challenging public-health crisis. Wu’s story told the roller-coaster experiences of several passengers among the more than 300 Hong Kong people who were stranded on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship in early 2020 amid a COVID-19 outbreak on the vessel.
ALSO READ: China Daily wins 11 prizes in News Awards
Other journalists recorded various aspects of the pandemic’s profound impact on society, including data-journalism stories of coral conservation and plastic waste as takeout food orders soared. For her work on this subject, Deputy News Editor Shadow Li won the top prize in Best Science News Reporting.
A five-story series on present and future museums in the postpandemic era made Culture Editor Chitralekha Basu a winner for the second year in a row in the Best Arts and Culture News Reporting category.
Two prizes — the first runnerup and a merit prize — under the Best Business News Reporting went to six business reporters with the series “Online economy amid COVID-19” and “Changes amid COVID-19”. The reporters were He, Luo Weiteng, Zhou Mo, Edith Lu, Chai Hua, and Sophie He. Zhou also received the first runner-up in Best Business News Writing (English).
Photographers Edmond Tang and Calvin Ng secured merit prizes in Best Photograph (Sport) and in Best Photograph (Features) respectively. Copy editor Greg Ahlstrand was the first runner-up in Best Headline (English), while graphic designers Mok Kwok-cheong and Billy Wong together won second runner- up in Best News Page Design (Single Page).
