Television wins big at MediaCorp News Awards 2012

SINGAPORE: Television was the big winner at this year’s MediaCorp News Awards, sweeping four out of six categories.

The prestigious awards recognise the best and brightest of Singapore’s leading media company. The awards ceremony was held at the Conrad Centennial Singapore this year.

Into its seventh year, the MediaCorp News Awards celebrates winning journalistic works across television, radio, print and online platforms.

The footage of an elderly patient abused at Nightingale Nursing Home was secretly filmed by the victim’s son and handed to MediaCorp.

It gripped the nation for weeks.

The expose not only clinched the News Story of the Year, but also the Young Journalist of the Year award for Evelyn Lam, who said the incident hit a personal nerve.

Evelyn Lam said: "I do have a grandfather at home. I believe most of us have an elderly (person) at home. So when they are in a nursing home, we would think that they should be taken very good care of, and not go through what has happened."

Journalist of the Year went to Channel NewsAsia’s executive editor Ken Teh — known for his strong coverage of breaking news.

After a four—year absence, he re—joined in 2011 and was immediately thrown into the thick of action, covering the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Ken Teh said: "It’s become second nature to me — this quick activation to conflict zones and disaster areas. Before, I used to have this bag beneath my desk where I had my passport and all my clothes and belongings and equipment and if anything happens, I’d just take it and run."

The Entertainment Story of the Year started out as a casual discussion between two colleagues at the TODAY newspaper, each doing stories on women at the top of their game.

Two more colleagues were roped in for the seven—page spread in time for International Women’s Day.

TODAY’s senior reporter Genevieve Loh said: "As a woman, interviewing them, just hearing them talk about their own challenges and how they climbed and reached the top, and just the fact of the struggles they have to go through to reach the top of their game, it is very inspirational."

Strong women were also at the centre of the Feature Story of the Year.

Hours of interviews edited into a half—hour documentary tracing the lives of the last batch of "majies" — Chinese women who took a vow of celibacy to work as maids.

Chinese current affairs executive producer Christopher Yeo said: "Some of them have a very good, happy ending story. Yet some of them actually live a very lonely life. No matter what, we just truthfully reflect all these people, the pioneers who quietly shaped the Singapore society."

The Style:Living magazine won the Online Initiative of the Year award, creating an iPad app for more interaction with its readers.

Issue 15 saw the magazine exploring a new platform as an app on the iPad that features videos and easy—to—navigate scroll bars.

Editor of Style:Living, Jerena Ng, said they "wanted a more interactive product for (their) readers".

Recalling the challenge of keeping within the editorial budget, Jerena credits the art and photography team for helping to keep cost low.

The winners were chosen by a panel of five judges.

They are: Nominated Member of Parliament Janice Koh; president & CEO of CapitaLand Group, Liew Mun Leong; Associate Professor & Co—Director of Asia Competitiveness Institute at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Dr Tan Khee Giap; president of Tsao Foundation, Dr Mary Ann Tsao; Mr Michael Zink, Head of ASEAN and Citi Country Officer for Citibank Singapore.

— CNA/ck/ir