SunStar Bacolod journo wins 3 GMEA awards, 6 finalist citations

BACOLOD. SunStar Bacolod multimedia content editor and reporter Erwin Nicavera bags three awards and six finalist citations in the just-concluded Globe Media Excellence Awards (GMEA) 2020. (Screenshot from the awarding ceremony of Globe Media Excellence Awards 2020)
BACOLOD. SunStar Bacolod multimedia content editor and reporter Erwin Nicavera bags three awards and six finalist citations in the just-concluded Globe Media Excellence Awards (GMEA) 2020. (Screenshot from the awarding ceremony of Globe Media Excellence Awards 2020)

SUNSTAR Bacolod (SSB) multimedia content editor and reporter Erwin Nicavera has bagged three awards and six finalist citations in the just-concluded Globe Media Excellence Awards (GMEA) 2020, a search that honors media, bloggers and social media influencers as frontliners in the time of the pandemic.

Nicavera, who garnered nine nominations in six categories, won the News Report of the Year for Print [Visayas] award for his story "Barter group helps Negrense farmers cope with pandemic."

His special report dubbed "Emotional Monster," discussing the timely and relevant issue on mental health especially during the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic emerged as the winner for Explanatory/Investigative Video Story of the Year for Digital [Visayas].

SSB Specials' feature dubbed "Plant. Grow. Share" hosted and produced by Nicavera also won the Community Development Story of the Year [Visayas], a special award that recognizes the best story that promotes community development that focuses on the digitalization of communities or sustainability programs.

This 14-minute video feature tells the story of an organization in Barangay Pahanocoy in Bacolod City, IF Green Technologies, advocating for food sustainability in the community through urban farming.

Nicavera will receive cash prizes and trophies.

Barangay Pahanocoy Chairman Yolanda Noble, as the local government-point person for his entry in the Community Development Story of the Year category, will also receive a cash prize.

"I am humbled by these awards. I share this achievement with my SunStar Bacolod family, with our readers, among other stakeholders, and with all those who shared their worth-telling stories," Nicavera said.

He also expressed gratitude to the award-giving body for the motivation and inspiration it is giving local journalists and social media influencers "to continue our passion and to do better despite the challenges brought by the pandemic."

"The global health crisis has also brought limitations to us, journalists. But, no pandemic can stop us from doing our social responsibility to the community," Nicavera said, adding that "information and stories that can be a source of inspiration are very vital during these trying times and we are unfazed to bring these to the community."

Six other works of Nicavera were shortlisted as finalists in this year's search organized by Globe Telecom.

These are Tatak Negros: Support local, Buy Local! for Social Media Advocacy of the Year; "A threatening emotional monster," a two-part special report on mental health, for Explanatory/Investigative Story or Documentary of the Year for Print; news articles entitled "Urban farming gaining ground amid pandemic" and "Virtual barter community thrives in NegOcc amid Covid pandemic" for News Report of the Year for Print; and two articles entitled "Sharing Filipino compassion amid global health crisis" and "Urban farming gaining ground amid pandemic" for Covid-19 Story of the Year category.

Meanwhile, Bacolod City-based blogger Maria Sigrid Lo won the Blogger of the Year [Visayas] award for her lovinglymama.com that featured resilient Pinay mothers during this pandemic.

Most of the awards from other categories both in the Visayas and Mindanao leg, including Explanatory/Investigative Story of the Year for Digital, Breaking News of the Year for Digital; Photo of the Year for Digital; Social Media Advocacy of the Year; Explanatory/Investigative Story or Documentary of the Year for Print; Covid-19 Story of the Year; Newsmaker of the Year; and Editor of the Year, were also bagged by SunStar journalists in Cebu and Davao.

This was the first time that the awarding ceremony for GMEA was held virtually. It was live-streamed Thursday, November 26, via www.facebook.com/GlobeICON.

Globe Telecom earlier said it is going digital for this year's search in a bid to recognize the exceptional and agile work of journalists, bloggers and social media influencers in the Visayas and Mindanao, who continue to cover the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic amid risks and disruptions.

GMEA 2020 is anchored on the issues and realities of "Life in the New Normal," such as the Covid-19 response, the impact of quarantine on different sectors and the difficult road to economic recovery.

The over 400 entries were in line with Globe's commitment to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals such as care for the environment, positive societal impact, care for people and the digital nation.

Yoly Crisanto, chief sustainability officer and senior vice president for Corporate Communications of Globe, stressed that GMEA 2020 comes at an unusual time as the world faces a shared health and economic crisis that presents new ways of living.

"Media plays an important role in the Covid-19 response even as it poses challenges to the industry, like a quick pivot to more digital content. As an ICT enabler, Globe wants to champion stories that show us different life perspectives during the pandemic," she added.

Trending

No stories found.

Just in

No stories found.

Branded Content

No stories found.
SunStar Publishing Inc.
www.sunstar.com.ph