ST scores two wins for newest initiatives

ST scores two wins for newest initiatives

SINGAPORE - The Straits Times has clinched two awards for its latest initiatives at this year's Pacific Area Newspaper Publishers' Association (Panpa) awards.

The newspaper's e-book, Myanmar Sunrise, won in the "Specialty/Niche Sites and Niche Apps" category, beating competition from Australia and New Zealand.

The Straits Times Appreciates Readers (Star) programme won the best "Newspaper Event" award for newspapers with a circulation of 90,000 copies and above. It beat programmes from publications like Australia's The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

These awards were given at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney on Thursday evening. Almost 1,000 entries were submitted from countries like Singapore, Fiji, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Australia.

The 150-page Myanmar Sunrise was launched earlier this year and is packed with lively insights from veteran journalists including ST's foreign editor Ravi Velloor and Indochina Bureau chief Nirmal Ghosh.

ST editor Warren Fernandez said Myanmar Sunrise "was a part of our ongoing effort to transform our newsroom into a truly multimedia outfit, able to deliver content not only in print, but also on mobile devices like the iPad".

He added: "If you have not seen it, do check it out on the iTunes store. It tells an engaging story, in words, visuals and videos, on the remarkable transformation taking place in Myanmar."

The newspaper will keep developing its ability to bring interesting content to its readers wherever they are and in any way they want it, he said.

ST's Asia Report microsite was also a finalist in the "Specialty/ Niche Sites and Niche Apps" category.

The newspaper's Star initiative, meanwhile, kicked off last year with the aim of engaging better with readers and the community.

It is also ST's way of thanking its readers for their support.

The Star programme began with a concert at Gardens by the Bay including performances by K-pop group 4Minute and American rockers Boys Like Girls.

Since then, readers have attended movie previews, enjoyed special access to the panda exhibit at Wildlife Reserves Singapore and attended exclusive parties at the Social Star Awards and Singapore Social Concerts, which featured stars like Aerosmith. Last Sunday, more than 12,000 runners took part in the inaugural ST Run in the Park at Punggol Waterway.

Mr Fernandez said winning the Panpa award from peers in the newspaper industry in the Pacific region was a big boost.

"It will spur us to do more to build on this programme. Our readers will be the biggest winner as a result," he said.

Panpa is a not-for-profit association with a participant base of more than 1,000 newspapers and websites from Australia, New Zealand, South-east Asia and the South Pacific.

Four photographs by ST photographers were also finalists at this year's Panpa newspaper awards. Australia's The Newcastle Herald and the Australian Financial Review were joint winners of the Newspaper of the Year award.

On Wednesday in Panpa's advertising awards, Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), which publishes The Straits Times, won Panpa's best advertisement or campaign promoting print in a trade publication or as an in-house ad for circulation of 90,000 and above.

The winning campaign was an advertisement calling for entries for this year's SPH iink Awards, which was themed around the adventures of Alice In Wonderland.

The iink awards are SPH's search for the most original advertising concept that makes full use of SPH's media platforms from print and digital to radio and out-of-home.


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