First winner of citizen journalism award

First winner of citizen journalism award

The issue of reckless driving on Singapore roads is one of the country's hottest topics right now.

So, it comes as no surprise that this is what the winning entry for Month 1 of the first STOMP Citizen Journalism Awards is about.

Held each month, the awards recognise the efforts of citizen journalists, who submit hundreds of breaking news stories to STOMP daily.

Ten reports are chosen from among each month's articles for a public poll conducted on Facebook.

Entries are selected based on their newsworthiness, social impact and "talkability" factor, among other criteria.

Readers can vote for the story of their choice after liking STOMP's Facebook page.

On the evening of Aug 26, STOMPer Kelvin recorded footage of a hit-and-run incident along the East Coast Parkway on his car's dashboard camera.

The short clip shows the culprit fleeing the scene in his Hyundai after ramming the rear of a Toyota. The impact caused the Toyota to spin and hit a road barrier, leaving the woman behind the wheel disoriented.

Of the top 10 STOMP stories shortlisted for the month of August, Kelvin's report received the most votes from members of the public. His first-hand account proved popular among readers, garnering well over 81,000 page views and close to 100 comments.

Many also commended Kelvin for bringing the incident to light, as his clip would no doubt help the authorities track down the culprit.

In recognition of his contribution to citizen journalism, he will receive a bottle of wine by world-renowned winemaker Denis Dubordieu, made from an original recipe.

So, what will Singapore's next hottest topic be?

You get to decide by submitting your votes in Month 2 of the Citizen Journalism Awards.

One of the 10 shortlisted entries was submitted by STOMPer Kiesha, who sent in photos of something you don't see every day in Singapore: Horses galloping along a road in Pasir Ris on Monday evening.

It turned out that the horses had escaped from a nearby stable. They were returned to the stable less than 15 minutes after they escaped, with the help of police and a horsekeeper.

Another top story that made the shortlist was submitted by STOMPer Randy, who sent in two closed-circuit-television clips showing how a youth kicked down a display shelf installed at the atrium of Bedok Point in the early hours of Sept 22. Randy was part of the team that had installed the shelf for an event.

The videos showed the youth knocking down the shelf with a gongfu kick, then returning to the scene with two friends to try and fix the damage. The police subsequently informed STOMP that the youth had been arrested for criminal trespass.

Randy also told STOMP in an update that the youth later came forward to apologise and offered to compensate for the damage.

A report about a full-time national serviceman peeing on his officer's bed as revenge is another contender for Month 2 of the STOMP Citizen Journalism Awards.

The STOMPer who submitted the video to STOMP said that it had been posted online by the serviceman, who held the rank of Third Sergeant. According to the STOMPer, the serviceman's officer had given him a hard time in camp.

These reports are just some of the top 10 stories up for consideration in Month 2 of STOMP's Citizen Journalism Awards.

The winner will also take home a bottle of Denis Dubordieu wine, and be in the running for the Citizen Journalist of the Year award.

To vote for your favourite story, head to the Citizen Journalism Awards page on Facebook to select the story you think deserves to win.

Go to www.stomp.com.sg for the latest hyperlocal news today.

ktan@sph.com.sg


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