South China Morning Post’s Young Post wins important industry Public Service award

HONG KONG, 19th September, 2013 – South China Morning Post’s dedicated daily newspaper for secondary school students, Young Post, won the Silver Award for Public Service in the 2013 World Young Reader prize, held by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA). Prizes in eight categories were awarded to news publishers from 15 countries for finding innovative ways of attracting young people to read the news.

The prize was awarded to Young Post for their Press Freedom Awareness project, which ran in the paper during the first week of May to coincide with World Press Freedom Day on May 3. The project included specially tailored articles such as a double-page spread on the role of journalists, and a censored version of a regular column which demonstrated the importance of a free press.

The WAN-IFRA judges remarked: “This was a bold idea to raise an issue of censorship in China-governed Hong Kong, and we hope it helps to raise awareness among the young in case of any future changes in politics and law in Hong Kong.”

Young Post is Hong Kong’s leading newspaper for the secondary school student, reaching over 85% of secondary schools, and providing educational support and entertainment for students since 1985. Exclusively available through schools with a subscription to the South China Morning Post, Young Post is the most respected and beloved newspaper for upper secondary school students.

The World Young Reader prize honours excellence in newspaper engagement of the young. The basic categories are Editorial, Making the News, Newspapers in Education (NIE), Public Service, Brand and Enduring Excellence. The jury also names a World Young Reader Newspaper of the Year and establishes special categories.

Editor of Young Post, Susan Ramsay, remarked “We’re absolutely thrilled that our passion for news and our dedication to young people in Hong Kong has been recognised with this international award. We could not have done it without the great support from our Junior Reporters, our readers and the teachers who use us daily in their classrooms. With their help we were able to spread the important message of press freedom to a new generation of news consumers.”

The prize will be formally awarded during the WAN-IRFA Youth Engagement Summit set for December 2-4 in Warsaw, Poland.

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About SCMP Group Ltd and South China Morning Post

SCMP Group Limited (SEHK: 583) is a leading newspaper and magazine publisher in Asia. Its flagship publication, South China Morning Post, is Hong Kong’s internationally recognised English language newspaper and has the city’s most affluent and influential readership.

First published in 1903, the newspaper has developed an enviable reputation for authoritative, influential and independent reporting on Hong Kong, China and the rest of Asia. Available in print, iPad™ and online through scmp.com and e-reader editions, South China Morning Post reaches a global audience with daily breaking news, analysis and opinion, multimedia articles and interactive forums. The South China Morning Post received 64 awards in 2012 for excellence in editorial, marketing and technical capability. Other titles in the Group include the Sunday Morning Post, the Chinese editions of Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE and CosmoGirl!, HK Magazine, The List, Where Hong Kong, and Where Chinese玩儿.



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