BT celebrates Journalist of the Year win

Singapore

THE Business Times (BT) snagged three awards, including the top prize, at the Singapore Press Holdings' English/Malay/Tamil Media (EMTM) Group Media Awards on Wednesday.

The newspaper's banking correspondent Jamie Lee was named Journalist of the Year, adding another feather to her journalism cap.

Ms Lee, into her 10th year in the profession, previously bagged the Young Journalist of the Year, and has also twice won the Financial Journalist of the Year award presented by the Securities Investors' Association of Singapore (SIAS).

Over the past year, she has focused on the disruption brought about by financial technology, or fintech, as well as how banks are defending themselves against the disruption. Some of her notable stories include "Singapore plays fintech evangelist on global mission" and "Oh Brother, Big Data".

Ms Lee, 32, said: "Coming from a small paper, we really try to punch above our weight, so it's really a team effort. This belongs to BT."

In light of recent changes to the industry, she added: "The industry is going through deep changes, and we're still figuring out the answers. But the hope is that journalism still carries some value in informing readers of the news that matter."

Prizes for Excellence in Journalism were also given out at this year's EMTM Group Media Awards. These prizes recognise exemplary work in feature writing, illustration, photography and page layout.

BT correspondent Vivien Shiao, 28, won an Excellence award for her feature "The other side of the economy", which told the story of those left behind by the recovering economy.

She said: "There are already many stories out there on how the economy has done better than expected, but few that share the perspective of those who have not been able to ride this wave. So it's their side of the story that I wanted to tell."

The other Excellence in Journalism award for BT came from the team comprising senior correspondent Kalpana Rashiwala, video producers Isaac Netto and Nessa Anwar. They were recognised for their video titled "Crème De La Crème: What is a Good Class Bungalow?".

The video used a drone, and showcased aerial shots of Singapore's most exclusive homes. (http://www.business-times.com.sg/videos/what-is-a-good-class-bungalow).

Former BT video editor Jonathan Ng, who now heads video production at SPH's content marketing group, said the video provided viewers a rare glimpse into the world of highly exclusive housing.

BT editor Wong Wei Kong said: "Journalism may have changed tremendously, but at the core, what drives it are still a strong instinct for the news, a sharp mind and the ability to connect, and we're very proud of our winners who have all demonstrated these qualities."

The EMTM Group consists of TheStraits Times (ST), BT,The New Paper (TNP), Berita Harian (BH), Tamil Murasu, tabla! as well as ShareInvestor, SPH Radio, and ST Press and Information Resource Centre.

TNP's Hariz Baharudin won the Young Journalist of the Year prize. ST's correspondent Melody Zaccheus clinched the Story of the Year award for her story, "Revamped war museum's name sparks questions", which highlighted the controversy behind the naming of Syonan Gallery.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, EMTM editor-in-chief Warren Fernandez, noting the challenges facing the media industry, said: "To me, it is that professionalism and commitment to good journalism that is going to enable us to deliver quality products . . . and secure the future of our newsroom."