Star Media Group bags five journalism awards

FIVE Star Media Group (SMG) employees received honours at the 18th Tan Sri Lim Gait Tong Journalism Award ceremony.

The Star’s education editor Christina Chin, assistant news editor Tan Sin Chow, northern region photo chief KT Goh, photographer Lim Beng Tatt and stringer Jeremy Tan each bagged a commendation award which carried a RM500 cash prize.

Chin, who is based in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, said she was surprised to hear her name being called as she did not expect to win for her article about the worrying trend of e-cigarette use among students.

Goh, who submitted his photograph featuring colourful lanterns titled “Cultural Inheritance”, dedicated his win to his colleagues who had helped him through the years.

Chin and Sin Chow won in the Datuk Seri Khor Teng How English News Report category, while Goh, Beng Tatt and Jeremy clinched honours in the Datuk Jessen Ang Jek Seng Feature Photography, Tan Sri Lim Khoon Hai News Photography, and Datuk Wira Louis Ng Chun Hau Financial and Economic News categories respectively.

Representatives from other newspapers and online media also won awards in the various categories.

Also present were Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, Farlim Group (M) Bhd chairman Tan Sri Lim Gait Tong, acting consul-general of China in Penang Ding Qiao and Penang Press Club chairman Tan Hu Chuan.

Chow said the government had always upheld the freedom of the press, but press freedom also required accuracy and the avoidance of spreading slander and false information.

“Today, online media is flourishing, and I am pleased to see that mainstream media is advancing with the times, breaking free from the confines of traditional print media and converting traditional media readers into online users via digital newspapers and apps,” he said.

Chow noted that in conjunction with World Press Freedom Day on May 3, Reporters Without Borders published the “2023 World Press Freedom Index,” with Malaysia ranked 73rd, a significant improvement from last year’s 113th ranking.

He also praised the Penang Press Club for hosting the journalism awards for almost 20 years.

Gait Tong, who is the honorary president and initiator of the Penang Press Club Journalism Awards, said newspapers had always played an indispensable role as the bridge for information, the watchdog for society and the guardian of democracy.

“However, we must also face the challenges we are currently encountering, especially from emerging competitors such as electronic media, online news and new media.

“Newspapers have the resilience and ability to respond to various challenges and must actively adapt to new communication methods and technologies while maintaining the professionalism and ethical standards of news reporting,” he said.

Hu Chuan said that in today’s digital age dominated by online and social media, traditional print media faced significant challenges.

“Presently, traditional print media still remains as the primary source for reliable and authoritative information,” he said.

Ding Qiao said the Malaysian media, especially Chinese newspapers, had produced a substantial amount of news reports focusing on the Belt and Road initiative as well as the fruitful results of China-Malaysia cooperation.