SINGAPORE - When rumours swirled in late March that national swimmer Joseph Schooling was planning to retire, The Straits Times’ creative department went into full gear, producing what would become an award-winning artwork.
The infographic, titled From Boy To Champion, tells the coming-of-age story of Singapore’s first Olympic gold medallist in the men’s 100m butterfly at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
It was published on April 3, a day after Schooling announced his retirement from swimming competitively on April 2 on social media.
The Japanese manga-styled piece was created in under a week by senior executive infographics journalist Chng Choon Hiong, executive artist Billy Ker and senior sports correspondent David Lee.
The infographic won silver for Best Newspaper Infographics at the 23rd edition of the Asian Media Awards, organised by the World Association of News Publishers (Wan-Ifra), on Nov 6.
The team decided to streamline the key milestones into 15 frames to keep the story tight.
“We spent a significant amount of time experimenting with different manga styles and portrait compositions before landing on this approach that balances artistry with journalistic storytelling,” said Mr Chng.
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In all, ST won one gold and two silvers at the awards, which recognise publishers that have adopted digital media and mobile strategies in response to how people consume news and information. The awards were presented at a ceremony at Mount Faber Peak.
ST picked up the gold in Best Newspaper Front Page Design for its Jan 3 coverage of the airport runway collision at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport.
Senior executive sub-editor Merlene Michael, who designed the winning page, said she went bold and big with the front-page image of a Japan Airlines’ plane in flames on the runway.
Visuals play an important role in keeping readers hooked, and a picture is worth a thousand words, she added.
“I am proud to have won the award, and it is gratifying that the effort has been recognised, not just for me but for The Straits Times as well. The print team always strives to do its best in pushing the envelope and telling stories in an arresting manner.”
Photojournalist Shintaro Tay clinched a silver in Best in Feature Photography with his photo of Arc Zero: Nimbus, an installation by Australian artist James Tapscott.
Titled Singapore, In A Different Light, the image was an extension of a Home in Focus picture essay of what happened behind the scenes of this year’s i Light Singapore festival that took place from May 31 to June 23.
Arc Zero: Nimbus was a ring of white light and mist along a floating walkway in Marina Bay. The artist had a vision of framing Singapore as a “portal of nature”.
Inspired by Tapscott’s vision, Mr Tay framed his shot during the “blue hour” just after sunset, when the sky is a deep blue before turning dark. He shared that special arrangements had to be made to get access to take the photo before the crowds flooded in.
“The cobalt blue skies accentuated the installation and clearly showed parts of Marina Bay and a hint of another installation on the left side. I wanted to capture how people can enter into a new realm through this picture.”
He added that he was “humbled to receive the award”.
ST editor Jaime Ho said: “We’re extremely grateful once more, for the affirmation of the ground-breaking work that The Straits Times does for all its audiences, across platforms and products. The talent that we have in the newsroom is unparalleled and we will continue to innovate in serving audiences who rely on the best of print and design in ST.”
Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao won the gold in Best in Feature Photography for A Symphony Of Birdsong.