MindaNews receives Lagerwey Awards for excellence in Journalism

Source: MindaNews

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 10 May) - The Communication Foundation for Asia's (CFA) 4 Lagerwey Awards for Communication Excellence on Friday conferred on MindaNews the first Gen Ong Laurel for Journalism "for demonstrating remarkable excellence in Journalism in 2023."

MindaNews was awarded for its reportage on "grassroots critical issues that mattered to the community with courage, creativity and integrity."

The award was received by Dr. Jose Jowel Canuday, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mindanao Institute of Journalism, the organization that runs MindaNews, at the CFA's Lagerwey Hall in Sta. Mesa, Manila.

The Lagerwey Awards is in honor of CFA founders Fr. Cornelio Lagerwey, MSC, a Dutch missionary, and journalist Genaro V. Ong Jr. of Sentinel, a Filipino who advocated communication and media as a tool for integral human development following the values of the Gospel.

CFA's vision is "to harness the power of communication to promote Christian values and empower those in need towards social transformation" while its mission is "to make sure all young people and children get all the support they need, when they need it, no matter what it is."

CFA President Fr. Filoteo Pelingon, MSC, said the awardees in various categories, have been "spreading communication to change the world we live in to a better world than it is now.

According to Pelingon, Ong, after whom the Gen Ong Laurel for Journalism is named, "died with his boots on," the "very dedicated man" succumbing to cardiac arrest in his CFA office in 1978.

Speaking on behalf of the Ong family, Pastor Jojun Loanzon, said the Award, given for the first time, "recognizes a media individual or organization that "exemplifies the value of courage, integrity and excellence in journalism, values that Gen Ong himself embodied throughout his distinguished career," the media organization that dedicated its efforts to "reporting on critical issues, giving voice to the voiceless and holding power to account."

"They have been a vital resource for Filipinos not only in Mindanao but across the country. Their journalists braved threats and dangers to bring us the stories that matter most. Their commitment to journalism ethics and their unwavering pursuit of truth are an inspiration to us all," Loanzon said as he asked the crowd to join CFA and the Ong family in "congratulating the well-deserved recipient for 2024 of the Gen Ong Laurel Journalism Award."

Independent, community, and grassroots journalism

Canuday said he accepted the award on behalf of MindaNews "with honor and pleasure for the recognition being made to independent, community, and grassroots journalism."

"Our communities and indeed the larger national body politic is at the crossroads in dealing with issues of peace, inclusive democratic participation, and regenerative future. Challenges but also opportunities are upon us but the big question is, are the voices from the ground - the displaced, the marginalized, and the struggling - being heard and amplified in the wider stage of national and global conversations?" Canuday said.

MindaNews, he said, "seeks to carry on with its mission to 'professionally and responsibly cover Mindanao events, peoples and issues to inform, educate, inspire and influence communities.'"

He noted that the award "further emboldens our team, our small community of independent journalists to persevere in reporting the stories and conditions of our peoples as we try to offer our fair share of contribution to a future founded and forged in fairness, peace, justice, and empowerment."

Criteria

According to the CFA, the criteria set for the Gen Ong Laurel for Journalism are promotion of integral development (25%), accuracy and fairness (25%), innovation and creativity (20%), values and integrity (20%) and focus on the underserved (10%).

On promotion of integral development: the stories "demonstrably contribute to positive social change, the stories raise awareness of critical issues related to poverty, environment, citizenship, synodality or social justice; and the stories empower marginalized voices and communities."

On accuracy and fairness: "always presents truthful and verifiable information, reports give voice to diverse perspectives and avoid bias; adheres to rigorous journalistic standards of accuracy and facts-checking; and presents a balanced and fair perspective on sensitive topics."

On innovation and creativity: "uses a unique or engaging approach to tell the story, leverages multimedia and story-telling techniques in an effort to widen public sphere participation; complex facts and information are popularized and storified."

On values and integrity: "promotes and demonstrates universal and faith values in collecting, writing and distributing stories and information. The journalist or organization has no proven case of checkbook journalism; stories inspire hope and humanity in addressing social changes."

On focus on the underserved: "gives voice to marginalized or under-represented communities, the issues that often go unnoticed by mainstream media are highlighted; showcases stories of resilience of community or positive change."

2nd award in 16 days

The Gen Ong Laurel for Journalism is the second award received by MindaNews in 16 days.

On April 24, MindaNews was awarded Outstanding Community Newspaper-Daily and reporter Yas Ocampo as Outstanding Community Journalist at the 1 Think Pink Awards on Outstanding Stories on Breast Cancer during the 60 anniversary celebration of the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) at the Century Park Hotel in Manila.

The 1 Think Pink Awards was initiated by the PPI, Novartis Healthcare Philippines and ICanServe Foundation to honor outstanding stories from the "Think Pink: Health Reporting on Breast Cancer in the Philippines 2023" Fellowship.

MindaNews' editor in chief Bobby Timonera accepted the awards for MindaNews and Ocampo.

In 2015, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) conferred on MindaNews an "Award of Distinction" for its "commitment to accuracy, fairness and relevance that since its founding has helped provide Filipinos the information and analyses they need to understand the particularities of the Mindanao reality which includes but is not limited to issues of war and peace."

"For providing sober and fair reports on events needed for clarity in an atmosphere of partisanship; For keeping to the highest standards of ethical and professional practice even in the face of threats, harassments and other perils that included the murder of one of its staff; and For thus contributing to the making of a culture of peace in a society riven by a long history of conflict," the CMFR said.

In 2013, MindaNews received the "Favorite Online News Portal" award at the 1 Blue Knight Media Awards of the Ateneo de Davao University.

In 2010, the Ateneo de Zamboanga University conferred on MindaNews the "Ateneo Peace Award" in recognition of its"significant contributions in providing accurate, timely and comprehensive news and information on Mindanao, its people, its culture, and its advocacies in the pursuit of being an alternative medium of media coverage especially in peace and development concerns, thus making a marked difference in Journalism and Public Information in the country."

MindaNews was founded on 25 May 2001 by Mindanawon journalists who left their Manila-based national newspapers to tell the stories of Mindanao from the lenses of Mindanao, from the perspective of Mindanao; to report on the many faces and facets of Mindanao beyond what the national newspapers, national radio and television networks report about Mindanao; to report on the issues in Mindanao comprehensively.

Two other Mindanao organizations were honored at the 4 Lagerwey Awards: the Davao City-based Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) for Environment Stewardship and the Cagayan de Oro-based Xavier Science Foundation for "Voice of Conservation."

IDIS was awarded for having "lobbied for the protection of watersheds in South Central Mindanao" while Xavier Science Foundation was awarded for having "established Indigenous Peoples Organizations from the Manobo and Talaandig tribes under their project and engaged new partners and communities to take action and advocate for environmental protection." (MindaNews)