2020 Annual Civic Journalism Community Press Awards

2020 Annual Civic Journalism Community Press Awards

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2020 PPI Awards Board of Judges and Screening CommitteeDownload

Winners Citations

BEST IN REPORTING ON MIGRATION ISSUES

WINNER for the DAILY: DAILY GUARDIAN (Visayas)

The COVID-19 pandemic has made migrant Filipino workers more visible in media as thousands returned to a country that relies heavily on the money that they send in.

The Daily Guardian reported on the situation faced by repatriated overseas Filipinos, many of whom were stranded in Manila before they were allowed to travel back to their home provinces. Although many of the stories published were on repatriated overseas Filipinos, some articles also featured overseas Filipinos being part of the community in their host countries.

The Daily Guardian also reported on low wages in the Philippines, a factor in many going abroad to work. Notably, the newspaper also carried reports on movement restrictions that would affect migrant sugar workers as well as on local government policies towards Badjao people who had been seen begging in Western Visayas.

Reporting on the circumstances behind migration and displacement helps provide a clearer picture of the millions of Filipinos who leave home and the risks they take for a better life.

 

WINNER for the WEEKLY: LUZONWIDE NEWS CORRESPONDENT (Luzon)

Luzonwide News Correspondent’s reported on the homecoming that Filipino migrant workers faced as they were repatriated due to the pandemic.

The Isabela-based news weekly also reported on options like upskilling and reskilling for repatriated migrant workers and for other Filipinos displaced by the economic effects of COVID-19 lockdowns.

Despite limitations on space and issue frequency, Luzonwide News Correspondent also helped voice concerns of the family of a Filipino ship captain reported lost at sea.

The news weekly also has a column on seafarer’s issues and concerns that directly serves a large sector of overseas Filipino workers and their families.

 

BEST IN PHOTOJOURNALISM

WINNER for the DAILY: THE FREEMAN (Visayas)

The Best in Photojournalism Award (Daily Category) is given to THE FREEMAN for the use of a variety of quality photographs that serve not only as visual accompaniments to stories but as independent journalistic reportage. The publication’s use of photographs as “spot reports” during disasters, calamities, accidents, especially in the midst of the pandemic and on a daily basis, is commendable and is consistent with the excellent Philippine photojournalism tradition. THE FREEMAN was able to demonstrate high standards in photojournalism not only in the quality of its photographs but especially in its wide coverage of issues and subjects that affect communities.

 

WINNER for the WEEKLY: METRO POST (Visayas)

The Best in Photojournalism Award (Weekly Category) is given to METRO POST for its consistent use of photographs to illustrate the stories of people, especially those in the peripheries. Through its full-page photo spread, the publication provided a platform for citizens to tell their stories. In these challenging times, METRO POST, through its use of photographs, highlighted the role played by frontliners not only in addressing the health crisis but in giving hope to the community. Through photographs, the publication was able to show that the system still works, that there is reason to hope, and out there, in the midst of the lockdowns, there are individuals — health workers, security personnel, village volunteers, and the media — who strive to make the community healthy, secure, and informed.

 

BEST IN ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING

WINNER for the DAILY: LEYTE-SAMAR DAILY EXPRESS (Visayas)

Leyte-Samar Daily Express’ consistent and extensive coverage of water issues, environmental tourism, waste management, forest and mangroves management, climate change impacts and the more controversial issues of mining and illegal logging has shaped the environmental agenda for communities and policymakers in the Eastern Visayas region. Its focused reporting on the environment shows its familiarity with and grip on issues that matter to its readers in Samar and Leyte, provinces that have witnessed the fury of man-made and natural disasters.

 

WINNER for the WEEKLY: BAGUIO CHRONICLE (Luzon)

The Baguio Chronicle has used its reach to guide its readers and decision-makers in understanding that wide-ranging issues on the environment are important in pushing conservation and development concerns to the forefront of public discussion. The Baguio City-based weekly’s in- depth stories have advocated solutions to environmental problems confronting communities in the Cordillera, the upland region that has been exploited for its forests, rivers, and mineral reserves for centuries. The Chronicle’s coverage of issues such as water and air pollution, forest degradation, solid waste management and local impact of climate change intersects with economic, tourism, health and indigenous peoples concerns that are important in charting the growth of Baguio and the rest of the Cordillera.

 

BEST IN BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC REPORTING

 WINNER for the DAILY: SUN STAR CEBU (Visayas)

The wide array of reporting on business and economic activity both at the local and national levels provides readers with a bigger picture of important developments in and around their community that have direct or indirect impact on their lives. This is evidenced not only by a clearly identified Business section, but by other news items and features throughout the publication. Business and community reporting is accompanied and well augmented by the good use of imagery and photographs.

 

WINNER for the WEEKLY: HERALD EXPRESS (Luzon)

The wide array of reporting on business and economic activity both at the local and national levels provides readers with a bigger picture of important developments in and around their community that have direct or indirect impact on their lives. This is evidenced not only by a clearly identified Business section, but by other news items and features throughout the publication.

 

BEST EDITORIAL PAGE

WINNER for the DAILY: SUN STAR PAMPANGA (Luzon)

The Best Editorial Page (Daily Category) goes to SunStar Pampanga for explaining and interpreting issues relevant to the community; for fearlessly criticizing officials and institutions involved in wrongdoing; for serving as an important voice and watchdog of the community during the critical days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

WINNER for the WEEKLY: PALAWAN NEWS (Luzon)

The Best Editorial Page (Weekly Category) goes to Palawan News for consistently producing editorials that are persuasive, well-researched and based on sound argument. For remaining fearless but fair in presenting relevant sides of an issue or community problem. For remaining critical on issues that affect the community especially during the crucial days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

BEST EDITED COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

WINNER for the DAILY: SUNSTAR CEBU (Visayas)

With its highly-visual layout and outstanding content, Sunstar Cebu is a compelling read. Overall, the paper has an excellent quality in its layout, design and content. Sunstar Cebu has the best photos among the daily community papers, showing that its photojournalists are highly-skilled who produce world-class photos. The layout makes full use of visual elements – big photos, bold and colorful headlines – that would make the reader reach out for a copy of the paper in the newsstand. The power of great photos and compelling stories continue in the inside pages, giving the readers the experience of enjoying both the narratives and the visual story-telling.

 

Its stories cover a wide range of issues that affect the community, with a strong coverage on the raging COVID-19 pandemic and its crippling effects on all sectors. The paper’s opinion section is progressive, with on-point editorials that take a very strong and principled stand on current controversies and concerns such as the confusing and unreasonable policies on the COVID-19 pandemic. It has a variety of sections – such as the exquisitely laid-out Sunstar Live!, business, Billboard, neighborhood, Sports and a space for its readers through its #tell_it_to_Sunstar feature.

 

WINNER for the WEEKLY: METRO POST (Visayas)

With a clean layout that makes good use of big photos and colorful visuals, Metro Post is a winner. With its size, it is a full-fledged weekly newspaper. But what makes it a real winner is its content – the breadth of issues of big impact to the community with stories across different sections written in crisp, clear and concise language. It had a strong coverage on the COVID-19 pandemic, with a sustained focus on its effects on the community that it serves, including a dedicated section on the IATF-COVID updates. Its opinion section featured a variety of voices, such as its He Said, She Said, They Said space. Its editorials were very nuanced and well-thought-out, particularly on the pandemic response as well as a range of concerns affecting different sectors of the community.

 

When it celebrated its 20th anniversary amid the Enhanced Community Quarantine, the paper went the extra mile for its most loyal readers by delivering copies to their homes that they traced only from memory since the list of subscribers was with their delivery boys.

 

Compiled by the Awards Secretariat

Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) September 27, 2021

 

 

2020 PPI Awards Winners CitationsDownload
Criteria for Judging