Young journalists embrace their role as storytellers

Journalism students who were honored at the 2023 Campus News Awards have been recognized for their ability to tell good stories about China and its future, and are entrusted with the task of capturing the essence of national development. 

With a total of 91 prize-winning entries under their belts, over 100 student journalists from both sides of the strait, Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions gathered in the Nansha district of Guangzhou, Guangdong province on 4 December for a grand presentation ceremony, marking the latest issue of the influential awards platform launched by China Daily Hong Kong Edition in 2012.

More than 1,000 entries were received from more than 3,600 college students at 84 colleges, marking the highest level of participation in the awards yet in terms of number of entries, participants and participating colleges.

The students competed in 28 categories, including Chinese-language and English-language sections in 11 categories. The categories were designed to encourage outstanding work in news reporting, news writing, feature writing, headline editing, video reporting, page design, data journalism and stories centered around business, technology, and arts and culture.  

HKUST(GZ) participated for the first time and was ultimately honored with the "Best Campus Branding Award". According to incomplete statistics, since 2022, there have been approximately 190,000 reports from various types of media, both domestic and international, covering the university's key areas such as teaching, research, and knowledge transfer. The collaborative efforts of the Public Affairs Department, university correspondents, student journalists, and media from all walks of life have made HKUST(GZ) a resounding name right from its establishment.

The awards event took place on the brand-new campus of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) on 4 December and attracted over 200 guests, including media leaders, journalism scholars and teacher and student representatives from universities across the region.

Addressing the ceremony, Hong Kong Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki said that “talents are the primary resource (for building a modern socialist country)”, as highlighted in the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2022.

Chan stressed that the journalism sector is an important driving force for social progress and development, and acknowledged the longstanding contribution of China Daily Hong Kong’s Campus News Awards to nurturing young journalists and equipping them with practical skills in reporting and multimedia production.

Zhou Li, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily Group and publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily Asia Pacific, said that the young participants have been given the opportunity to visit the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in person and to engage in side events involving visits to renowned enterprises in the region.

Such an experience will enable the participants to immerse themselves in China’s society and culture, thereby enhancing their understanding of the Chinese mainland’s development, especially Guangzhou — an important window onto China’s reform and opening-up and a core city in the Greater Bay Area, which holds strong appeal for many talented young people, Zhou said.

Zhou expressed his delight at the record-high participation in this year’s awards, saying it reflects the industry’s recognition of the awards and demonstrates the passion felt by those pursuing a career in journalism. He encouraged participants to promote the development of journalism.

While acknowledging the impact of artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT on journalism, Zhou stressed that the role that journalists play in understanding complex issues and infusing their flesh-and-blood reports with a human touch is greatly valued.

He also thanked the judges for ensuring the objectivity and fairness of the competition. This year, more than 100 veteran journalists, university journalism professors and professionals from relevant government departments took on the role of judging and commenting on the entries. 

Lionel Ni Ming-shuan, founding president of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), said that the impartial reporting of news is more essential today than ever before, as the world is in the midst of once-in-a-century changes.

“The news is not only a window onto events in the world, but also an important basis for the public to judge the facts,” he said. 

Recent developments mean that the concept of “reporter” has evolved and has been extended to define “everyone as a reporter”, he said. Despite this, university students, with their high levels of learning, their individual abilities and their high quality of work, can become a new force to tell the good story of China, he said.

This year, the Campus News Awards ventured beyond Hong Kong for the second time and chose to come to HKUST(GZ). The decision was driven by two factors. Firstly, HKUST(GZ) is a university that embodies the latest achievements in the development of the Greater Bay Area, particularly in Guangzhou Nansha. Secondly, as a new university, HKUST(GZ) is dedicated to serving as a bridge and catalyst for exchanges among youth from both sides of the strait, as well as Hong Kong and Macau. Through the observations and reporting of these young journalists, they aim to introduce more readers to the allure of an interdisciplinary university.

Since the spring of 2023, the organizing committee of the China Daily Campus News Awards and the Public Affairs Department of HKUST(GZ) have collaborated extensively and meticulously planned this grand event.

Many members of the HKUST(GZ) student journalist team also volunteered for this ceremony. "During the award presentation, the genuine blessings from the teachers and the lively expressions on the faces of our fellow students were truly heartwarming. Behind each award were unique works and stories," shared Chen Yiran, a student from the Red Bird MPhil Program. She perceived the significance of the ceremony as a gathering of students and educators from diverse universities, representing different accents and backgrounds across the strait, as well as Hong Kong and Macau. Together, they witnessed moments of joy, communication, and heritage.

Source: China Daily Hong Kong, "Young journalists embrace their role as storytellers."