SOPA announces finalists for 2024 awards for editorial excellence

The Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) has unveiled the finalists for its 2024 Awards for Editorial Excellence, spotlighting exceptional journalism from across the globe.

More than 700 entries in English, Chinese, and Bahasa Indonesia were submitted by international media giants and regional outlets alike, showcasing a diverse array of perspectives and issues.

This year marks the 26th edition of the prestigious awards, which began in 1999, with the winners set to be announced at a gala dinner in Hong Kong on 20 June.

The event will feature a keynote speech by Joseph Kahn, a former China correspondent and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, now the executive editor of The New York Times. Kahn will discuss the challenges of maintaining editorial independence in today’s polarized media environment.

The awards cover 21 categories including Women’s Issues, Audio Reporting, Investigative Reporting, and Business Reporting. Notable finalists this year include China Books Review, recognized for its opinion writing on global issues; ThePrint from India for regional reporting on women’s issues; and Master-Insight.com for its contributions to Chinese-language opinion journalism. Also highlighted is Magdalene.co, a contender in the Bahasa category.

Judging this year’s entries is a panel of 135 volunteer judges, consisting of seasoned journalists and academic experts from around the world. One judge praised the entries for their exceptional quality, stating, “From story choice to execution, this is one of the best sets of stories I’ve seen in a long, long time.”

Themes of public health and public policy dominated this year’s submissions, with significant coverage of issues such as substandard medical products in India and China’s influence on the global fentanyl supply chain. Additionally, stories addressing economic challenges and the state of democratic institutions in India and China captured the attention of the journalism community.

Since 2011, the Journalism and Media Studies Centre at The University of Hong Kong (JMSC) has been responsible for administering the SOPA Awards. Ting Shi, Senior Lecturer at HKU and Head of Judges for the awards, remarked on the unparalleled diversity and depth of this year’s shortlist, noting an increasing trend of collaborative journalism across the region.

Rita Widiadana, Head of Judges for the Bahasa Indonesia category and an executive board member of the Asia Pacific Media Alliance (APCAT) for Health and Development, also commented on the geopolitical complexity reflected in the entries.

Yi-Shan Chen, Editor-in-Chief of CommonWealth Magazine and co-chair of SOPA’s Editorial Committee, expressed gratitude to all participants and anticipation for the upcoming awards ceremony in June.

With such a strong lineup of finalists and a focus on critical issues, the SOPA 2024 Awards promise to highlight the enduring value and impact of robust journalism in Asia and beyond.