Award-winning photojournalists share their experiences at The Straits Times photo festival

(From left) The Straits Times executive photojournalist Neo Xiaobin, former photojournalist Ezra Acayan, photographer Mario Cruz and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung's director of media programme Asia Christoph Grabitz during a panel discussion at ST's Through The Lens photo festival. ST PHOTO: STEPHANIE YEOW
Former Reuters photojournalist Ezra Acayan from the Philippines talks about his work covering the drug war in his home country during a talk at The Straits Times Through The Lens photo festival. ST PHOTO: STEPHANIE YEOW
Portuguese photographer Mario Cruz talks about his work on social issues during a talk at The Straits Times Through The Lens photo festival. ST PHOTO: STEPHANIE YEOW

SINGAPORE - Former Reuters photojournalist Ezra Acayan was worried about becoming wrongly implicated in the Philippine government's war on drugs, after his experiences in documenting violence in the war.

But his determination to tell the stories behind the issue saw him diving even deeper into it.

In 2017, the Philippine national quit his job at Reuters along with colleagues in other news agencies, so as to free up time to focus on the drug war.

"From just documenting (the topic), it transformed into something much, much more," said the 26-year-old. "I have actually become like a godfather to some of the children that have been left behind."

Mr Acayan, runner-up in the spot news category (singles) of this year's World Press Photo (WPP) contest, was speaking at a panel discussion at The Straits Times Through The Lens photo festival at the National Museum of Singapore.

His winning entry showed the body of a man lying in the street after being shot dead by unidentified men in front of mourners at a wake in Quezon City, in the Philippines.

Also alongside him on the panel was Portuguese photographer Mario Cruz, who came in third in the environment category (singles) of the WPP contest, and Christoph Grabitz, director of media programme Asia at German think-tank Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.

The panel discussion, entitled Converging Lenses: Contemporary Issues In Documenting Social And Human Rights Issues, was moderated by ST's executive photojournalist Neo Xiaobin.

Mr Grabitz said that the work done by photojournalists such as Mr Acayan and Mr Cruz is now especially important, given the misuse of the term "fake news".

"Everyone uses the term fake news for his or her own purpose to fight those who stand up to try and speak truth to power. In this situation, it is very important to have outstanding journalistic work."

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