The Straits Times has won a global media award for a campaign which tailored Covid-19 pandemic news for schoolchildren.
It clinched first place in the best initiative in response to Covid-19 category for an ST Schools campaign which was provided free to all public school teachers in support of Singapore's move to full home-based learning during the circuit breaker period.
Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), which publishes ST, also earned an honourable mention - in the best idea to acquire or retain advertising clients category - at the International News Media Association (Inma) Global Media Awards broadcast online yesterday.
A three-day campaign in The New Paper, in partnership with Gain City, won an honourable mention for the use of innovative solutions which enabled quality engagement with the audience and favourable outcomes for the advertising partner.
The ST Schools Covid-19 campaign placed first out of six finalists in the global/national brands group, and was praised for its "big idea with community outreach" by educating and rallying young readers to act as ambassadors within their families and friends network.
The campaign involved news articles, quizzers and explainers about the pandemic - catered for readers aged between 10 and 16 - as well as social media engagement with older students aged 17 and up, with a focus on peer support and mental health.
Ms Serene Luo, editor of ST Schools, said that while there is a lot of information about the Covid-19 pandemic, not a lot of it is catered towards young readers.
She added: "From the early days of the coronavirus, we felt strongly that they could make a difference by carrying the right information home to their families, friends and communities, which was why we wanted them to be young 'ambassadors' even as the pandemic unfolds."
SPH head of media strategy Eugene Wee said: "In the current climate, where consumer and advertising needs are constantly evolving, we need to continually think out of the box to best engage with our audiences. The mix of solutions is proof of our capabilities to adapt and innovate to create strong value for both our advertisers and consumers."
More than 260 news brands - including newspapers, magazines, television and digital media organisations - submitted over 900 entries for this year's Inma Global Media Awards.
