Winners of the 2022 Digital Media Awards Worldwide announced

WAN-IFRA says that five global winners were recognised in six different categories for their demonstration in digital strategies to meet the changes in how people consume news and information today.

WAN-IFRA’s Digital Media Awards Worldwide are the news media industry's only truly global digital media competition, says the association. To qualify for the worldwide competition, finalists first had to win at the regional level of their Digital Media Awards during this past year in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America and South Asia, which together provide news publishers with regular showcases for the best-practice innovation in digital publishing worldwide.

The regional awards are evaluated by local juries and then later in the year, a different set of judges examine all the winners across the regions and select the best of each category for the Digital Media Awards Worldwide.

WAN-IFRA have announced the winners as follows:

BEST DATA VISUALISATION

Spain lives in flats: why we have built our cities vertically, eldiario.es (Diario de Prensa Digital SL), Spain

Judges comments: “Exceptional. This is a visually and aesthetically stunning story that also provides rich historic and geographic insight and context,” said one judge. “The overlay of charts and text over the map is beautifully executed, and the way the visual finds examples of the trends highlighted in the text is extremely enlightening.”

“The piece is interesting and the maps function seamlessly,” said another.

“Works amazingly well on mobile,” added a third judge. “Great storytelling, and really good use of data visualisation to make a potentially dry narrative pop.”

BEST IN AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT

Dapat Totoo, GMA News Online, Philippines

Judges comments: “In a world dogged by fake news and declining public engagement in public interest journalism, this campaign is right on the money in its approach in trying to engage with a younger, more difficult -to-reach audience with an election process,” said one of our judges. “A really imaginative approach, utilising the social media platforms of the generation to engage with the younger audience who often grapple with the complexities of elections.”

“This is a superb entry,” said another judge. “I love the range of ways in which you have sought to connect with youth audiences on an important topic.”

A third judge noted: “This project isn't just about engaging with a news brand but encouraging audiences to engage with the fundamental principles of democracy itself. GMA has devised an experimental approach with young people firmly in mind and the playful, multi-platform messaging, design and distribution of this educational campaign should be celebrated.”

BEST NEWS WEBSITE OR MOBILE SERVICE

CNA website and app, CNA Mediacorp Pte Ltd, Singapore

Judges comments: “The new app and website have been created in a way that is entirely compatible with mobile-first thinking for news consumers, using a fantastically forward-thinking approach that should be a standard for the industry in 2022,” said one of our judges. “As well as looking great, the attention to detail in terms of innovation makes the CNA offering stand out. The whole in-app experience with the variety of content available, customisation options and even just the pleasure in navigating around is superb.”

“Simple design, clean nav menus, and impressive increases in use: ‘A 17% increase in monthly average time spent per visit on the website.... grew 28% in monthly active users on iOS and 18% for Android.’ Looks good on iPhone too,” noted another judge.Said a third: “I really like their Context Snippets… a great way to help readers through difficult topics!“

BEST USE OF ONLINE VIDEO

Disordered, Stuff Circuit, New Zealand

Judges comments: “This is a beautiful and gripping telling of an important national story of pain and abuse all too common in countries with a wounded and often overlooked population damaged before they were even born. It has an almost languid pacing but each segment keeps the viewer engaged enough to want to see ‘What happens next?’ Bravo to this team,” said a judge.

BEST READER REVENUE INITIATIVE

Maverick Insider, Daily Maverick, South Africa

Judges comments: “Maverick Insider is a fantastic solution to a particular problem in Africa: how to get people to pay for news in a less developed economy,” said one of our judges. “The latest iteration of the project, which comprises this year's entry, highlights the ongoing iterative effort which is at the heart of all digital success stories. Bringing in ecommerce offers and new partnerships was a smart way of showing the value of membership in tough economic times. Creating an expert database manages both to make readers feel like they are gaining something from membership but also helps to improve the title's journalism. The numbers show that this initiative is clearly working.”

“The longevity of this programme is testament to its success,” added another judge. “The lesson learnt was honest, and pertinent.“

Noted a third: “One of the most impressive things about Maverick Insider is the way the team is using data to better understand their audiences – and also incorporating best practice and ideas from across the globe. As a membership play, Maverick Insider is tapping the true definition of reader support: the members care for the product, understand the role they play in its future and are emotionally rather than transactionally involved in its ongoing success. The variety of benefits on offer is really compelling as is the quality.”

BEST NEWSLETTER

First Thing by John Stupart, Daily Maverick, South Africa

Judges comments: “Going from being ‘a spark plug’ to ‘one of the wheels’ sums it up well,” said a judge. “Being a ‘primary driver’ of much other success says a lot. Continuous evolution of content and function is critical. Selling out two months in advance? Raise the rates, or add ad modules. Or both. Thirteen years. Well done!”