GMA News Online secures 3 finalist spots in SOPA 2022 Awards

GMA News Online has secured three finalist spots in the Society of Publishers Asia Awards 2022 (SOPA) for Editorial Excellence.

Atom Araullo’s special report, “The Hunger Pandemic,” which recently won first prize in the Journalism for an Equitable Asia Award, is a finalist in two categories: Excellence in Feature Writing and Excellence in Photography (Regional).

It tells the story of Ben Rivero and his dogs, who have long subsisted on “pagpag” or restaurant leftovers. It discusses how this situation has worsened immensely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Boys Don’t Cry,” meanwhile, is a finalist in the Excellence in Explanatory Reporting (Regional) category.

Written by Joahna Lei Casilao and Kaela Malig, the report is an in-depth look at how Filipino boys are taught to keep silent even in the midst of sexual abuse.

Four boys bravely shared their own stories of pain and how they were able to continue life with it.

The SOPA Awards, established in 1999, is “a tribute to editorial excellence in both new and traditional media, and was designed to encourage editorial vitality throughout the region.”

This year’s awarding ceremony is on June 16, 2022. It will be live streamed on SOPA’s YouTube channel. — LA, GMA News