SOPA Spring 2023 Newsletter

SOPA Awards celebrates its 25th year in setting the?bar for excellence in journalism. SOPA's annual recognition of outstanding journalism craftmanship promotes high-quality reporting.

The SOPA Editorial Awards constitute 21 categories positioned to recognize outstanding works, including Women's Issues, podcasting, and video production.

This year SOPA have also introduced a new award category, Excellence in Bahasa Indonesia News Reporting. ?This intends to give merit to the high-quality content of Bahasa publications. ?It also aims to promote the cultural significance of the language spoken by millions of people across Southeast Asia.

SOPA appreciates the Google News Initiative for being a staunch partner for the new entrant's subsidy. This endeavor has helped in recognizing journalists across the regions who are working in financially unstable environments.?

Save the Date! SOPA 2023 Awards Gala Dinner

SOPA Awards are back in person! Join us for the SOPA 2023 Awards?Gala Dinner on Thursday | June 15, 2023 at JW Marriott Hong Kong.

We are now offering special discounts for early birds until April 28!

Check out the Awards eProgram Ad Page at?bit.ly/Awards-eProgram.

Buy your Table Sponsorship HERE.

Buy your Individual Ticket HERE.

Add Event to Calendar

The SOPA 2023 Awards Gala Dinner is back in person!

Don't forget to save the date: bit.ly/SOPA_AwardsGala ???

Get To Know Editorial Committee?Members

Yi-Shan Chen ? Editor-in-Chief | CommonWealth Magazine

Tell us what you do in your job.

I am Editor in Chief of CommonWealth Magazine, a monthly print in Taipei started 42 years ago and now daily digital version with podcast and YouTube channel. Although we update daily, the audience expect our stories much more than a newspaper. I spend most of my energy to lead my team telling a unique, relevant, interesting and trustworthy feature story. Also I need to cooperate with the product, social and marketing team to make the stories reaching out in various formats, channels and take responsibility for subscriptions.

What’s the best part about your job?

CommonWealth Magazine derived its name from the Confucian phrase “the world (commonwealth) is equally shared by all” and symbolizes the pursuit of a better society. The best part about my job is working with like-minded colleague to find the solution for this society.

How did you end up in the media?

1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre was the first new event in my memory. I was 15 to prepare high school entrance examination but I could not stop to follow the news tightly. In 90’s Taiwan lifting of martial law, various prohibited topics, such as LGBT, Indigenous people issues and so on, could be gradually discussed. Media was powerful speaking for the weak and gradually changing people’s perception.

What keeps you going?

Curiosity. Media is a job paid to learn. The news is sometimes similar but always different. Besides, we are in the disruption era of media industries. We are lucky to write the new bible and textbook.

Complete the sentence - My top tip for work productivity or maintaining job satisfaction is managing the expectations and celebrating the small win.?

Bill Ridgers ? Asia Digital Editor | The Economist

Tell us what you do in your job.

I am The Economist’s Asia Digital Editor, which among other things means I run the newsdesk in Hong Kong. The job has a bit of everything: commissioning stories—particularly on breaking news—editing and publishing copy, and writing and reporting. Although I often write about what is going on in Hong Kong, the Economist has a small staff, so there is always scope to file stories on other topics that interest you. In my case that means music and cricket whenever I can.

What’s the best part about your job?

I have been at The Economist (including our sister company, the Economist Intelligence Unit) for over 27 years. There is something about the atmosphere—being surrounded by both the smartest and the nicest people in journalism—that makes it feel impossible to leave. A word that is often used to describe the newspaper is “collegiate”. Perhaps it is the lack of bylines, or just a culture that has become entrenched over 180 years, but it lacks the dog-eat-dog savagery that can be found in many newsrooms.???

How did you end up in the media?

When I was younger, playing in bands around London, I took it for granted that I was destined to become a rock star. When it transpired I was lacking a couple of key skills, talent and drive, I changed tack and failed to become a novelist too. So my first proper media job was with a music PR company, which handled artists like Bob Marley. I found it a bit soulless and moved to the exciting world of business publishing and the EIU, first as researcher and later editing its management titles. From there I switched across to The Economist as business education editor.??

What keeps you going?

News. Everyday my job takes me around the world, conceptually at least. Watching human drama play out in places near and far, and knowing that you are one of those helping to document it, is hugely satisfying but also daunting.?

Complete the sentence - My top tip for work productivity or maintaining job satisfaction is?to?properly switch off regularly; news never stops, but sometimes you need to.

WELCOME NEW SOPA MEMBERS

Established on October 1, 2018, WAINAO provides a platform for freedom of expression for the young generation Chinese. It is a popular destination for young people in China to collaborate in discussions and express opinions on social, cultural, political, and educational issues.? WAINAO opened doors for millennials to the venue for meaningful conversations, social engagements and entertainment without the fear of being retaliated against or censored.

Radio Free Asia is a nonprofit news organization, that gives access to uncensored, cultural programming, and independent news, that is ignored or blocked by the government to an estimated weekly audience of 59.8 million people. Funded by the United States government, RFA broadcasts in nine languages, including Mandarin, Cantonese, Tibetan, Uyghur, Korean, Vietnamese, Lao, Khmer (Cambodian), and Burmese. ?It covers the discussion of vast topics such as human rights abuses, corruption, and political developments, and aims to provide accurate and timely information to countries in Asia that lack a free press.

Established in 1983, Lianhe Zaobao is the lone Singapore-based, Chinese-language publication that can be purchased and accessible online in mainland China. The entity is published by Singapore Press Holdings. It is also one of the widely-read newspapers in Singapore and Malaysia, with a daily circulation of over 200,000 copies. The newspaper covers both local and international news, including politics, business, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. ?Lianhe is committed to providing quality journalism and accurate reporting. The entity has correspondents in Chongqing, Shanghai, Hongkong, Beijing, Guangzhou, Seoul, Tokyo and Taipei with experienced stringers from Japan, Europe, the Philippines, and the United States.

Vision Engineering Foundation?is Taiwan's first public welfare foundation that combines news reporting and advocacy actions. It adheres to the purpose of collaboration to create a positive change in making Taiwan a better country.? The entity has launched special reports and actions aimed at the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and continues to work on issues such as road justice, environmental sustainability, rural education, social enterprises, and care for the disadvantaged that have been outstanding in the past decade.

Established in 2009, Eco-Business is Asia Pacific’s largest media and business intelligence organization dedicated to sustainable business practices in the Asia-Pacific region. With over a decade of insightful analysis and expert opinion on environmental issues that may affect businesses in the field, the entity has become a trusted partner for companies toward integrating sustainability into operations. Eco-Business has won several awards for its journalism and advocacy work on environmental issues. It offers a vast range of services such as consulting, research, and events to help businesses navigate the complex landscape of sustainability

SOPA PARTNER

WAN-IFRA's flagship event, the annual World News Media Congress returns to Asia for the first time in 10 years. The 74th edition of the Congress which will be held from June 28-30 in Taipei is an excellent and rare opportunity to learn from and network with global leaders in the news media industry right at our doorstep. Among the headline speakers who have confirmed are Joseph Kahn, executive editor of the New York Times, Michael Miller, executive chairman of News Corp, Stig Orskov, CEO of JP/Politikens Hus, Daisuke Arakawa, Managing Director at Nikkei & Director at Financial Times, and David Walmsely, Editor-in-Chief, Globe and Mail. ?

The World News Media Congress has been bringing together world leaders as well as the most innovative thinkers to discuss key issues facing our industry since 1948, and this time will be no different. The event will comprise the World Leaders Summit, the World Editors Summit, technology and services showcases, an exhibition and trade show, and numerous social and networking events. Last year's event in Zaragoza, Spain attracted over 1,200 news executives from 75 countries from around the world. Don't miss out!?

SOPA members enjoy a special 15% discount off the non-member rate. To enjoy this offer, please use promo code SOPA15 when you register!

Splice helps build viable media startups in Asia. They work with global media ecosystem to report on, teach, advise, transform, and fund media startups.

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MEMBERSHIP PROMOTION

Would you like your publication to contribute to the voice of Asia’s media industry and celebrate professional journalism and publishing? Then come and join us! As well as supporting SOPA, your publication can get special discounts at our year-round events including the Annual Editorial Awards.

To warmly welcome you as a new member, SOPA is providing an additional 2 months free to your annual membership, giving your publication a total of 14 months of membership at SOPA.?

Keen to learn more? Then please reach out to Julieta Javellana or Peter Murray.? If you have any questions and have an interest in joining.? Learn more at SOPA Asia Membership.?

ABOUT SOPA

The Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) is a Hong Kong based not-for-profit organization that was founded in 1982 to champion freedom of the press, promote excellence in journalism and endorse best practices for all local and regional publishing platforms in the Asia Pacific region.

Today, SOPA is the voice of Asia’s media and publishing industry, and continues to work to uphold media standards and freedoms while celebrating and supporting professional journalism and publishing. The SOPA Awards for Editorial Excellence are the annual, flagship awards, serving as a regional benchmark for quality, professional journalism.

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Join our community to champion press freedom, commit to excellence in journalism, and endorse best practices for all local and regional publishing platforms in the Asia Pacific region.?