Chairman's Message

Message from SOPA Editorial Awards Subcommittee Chairman

Since their inception in 1999, the Society of Publishers in Asia Awards for Editorial Excellence have sought to promote the highest journalistic standards and support press freedom around the region. Reflecting an increasingly vibrant editorial scene, last year we received a record 547 entries from 97 publications across Asia Pacific.

SOPA as an organization seeks to foster best practices in professional publishing and responsible journalism. Echoing these goals, the SOPA awards provide a quality benchmark for excellence amongst the region’s best newspapers, magazines, wire services and websites. They are also a way to applaud and encourage journalists who strive to keep the public informed about important issues through dogged and enterprising coverage, despite challenging economic circumstances.

In recognition of the increasing importance of new media in our industry, this year's awards will include a new category for “Multimedia News Presentation”. Outstanding journalism is taking place in a variety of new formats to engage readers’ interest. We hope this modest addition will encourage more publications and journalists to showcase and seek recognition for their editorial achievements by participating in the 2010 SOPA Editorial Awards.



Peter Stein
SOPA Editorial Awards Subcommittee Chairman