Reuters receives five SOPA Award honors

At this year’s Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Awards – Asia’s most prestigious journalism awards – Reuters received an award for Excellence in Journalistic Innovation and four honorable mentions.

Excellence in Feature Writing winner ‘Revolution 101’

Reuters had 10 finalists in the contest, more than any other international news provider. Those nominations recognized reporting from around Asia, including Hong Kong, China, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand and Myanmar.

Here are the details on the Reuters work recognized by SOPA judges:

Winner, Excellence in Feature Writing – Revolution 101 – The judges said of this winning entry that it was “a beautifully written story that vividly depicts some of the youngest revolutionaries of Hong Kong at first hand during their most intense battle.”

Honorable Mention, Excellence in Journalistic Innovation – Scraping stories from the world’s largest election – “A fantastic and immersive insight into the scale and complexity of India’s elections. Just seeing the sheer number of candidates is visually breathtaking, and the research and work that has gone into this even more so,” the judges said.

Honorable Mention, Excellence in Information Graphics – The race to save the Ganges river – “With impressive research, creativity, and composition, the infographic successfully conveyed the dire pollution situation in one of the most important rivers in the world,” the judges said.

Honorable Mention, Excellence in Reporting Breaking News – Terror on Easter Sunday – “Reuters should be commended for breaking the exclusive story that the Sri Lankan authorities were tipped off about the terrorist attack, but were unable to stop it because of bureaucratic infighting,” the judges said.

Honorable Mention, Excellence in Photography – Fire, guns and tear gas in Hong Kong – “These photos let us feel the danger that those involved in the protests, whether it is the protesters or the police, are facing. Molotov cocktails, the end of a gun, tear gas, being pinned down. We see and feel the intensity that is happening on the ground.”

Reuters additional finalists included:

Excellence in Investigative Reporting – The hunt for Asia’s El Chapo

Excellence in Photography – Indonesia Burning

Excellence in Reporting on the Environment – Remembrance Lake

Excellence in Information Graphics – Visualising the Hong Kong Protests

Excellence in Business Reporting – The China Effect

[Reuters PR blog post]

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