BT journalist wins Stories of Pandemic award for article on widening wealth gap during Covid-19

Singapore

BUSINESS Times (BT) correspondent Kelly Ng has bagged an award from the Stories of a Pandemic (Soap) Awards for her article that expounded the widening wealth gap during Covid-19.

The inaugural award, organised by The Majurity Trust, celebrates individuals whose works have helped readers "understand important aspects of the crisis, or raised awareness of important issues as the pandemic unfolded", according to Soap's website.

A winner for each of its three categories - Best Story, Best Commentary and Best Visual - is selected monthly, with their works featured on Soap's website and social media platforms.

Together with judges from various media organisations in Singapore, including The Straits Times editor-at-large, Han Fook Kwang, Ms Ng was selected as a merit winner for the month of October last year under the Best Story category for her article headlined "Lower-income hit hardest by Covid-19, as better off still buying stocks, homes, cars".

In her article, Ms Ng took to contrasting struggling individuals amid widespread retrenchment with wealthier individuals cashing in on investment opportunities to reveal the stretching wealth disparity in Singapore during Covid-19.

Commenting on her win, Ms Ng said she was both surprised and grateful for the support from her editors and the sources who provided data that allowed the story to materialise.

"I guess this is one of those stories that one wishes needn't be reported, as it centres on how the pandemic has widened the chasm between the haves and the have-nots," said Ms Ng.

"But hopefully shedding light on issues like that can lead to constructive impact down the road to narrow the gap."