R.AGE bags world award

BANGKOK: The R.AGE team received the World Young Reader Prize at a ceremony during the Asia-Pacific World Young Reader Summit 2012.

Former R.AGE editor Ivy Soon was also invited to speak about the youth platform's engagement strategies on print and social media at the event held in the Thai capital on Tuesday.

“This generation of youth in Malaysia is creative, pro-active and enterprising, and R.AGE strives to be the platform to tell their stories and engage with them.

“We won this award because our readers respond and talk to us. So, this award also goes to our vibrant R.AGE community,” said Soon, who is now The Star's Women and Family editor.

The prize is awarded by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (Wan Ifra),

The award is R.AGE's third in the past year, after its Asian Digital Media Awards “Best in Social Media” prize last November and the Red Ribbon Media Award for “Outstanding Achievement in Print Media” in May.

World Young Reader Prize judge Lynne Cahill of West Australian Newspaper Ltd, was impressed with R.AGE's ground-breaking work in integrating print and social media.

“It is very exciting what they (the R.AGE team) are doing, moving to become a multi-platform product,” said Cahill.

World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (Wan Ifra) Young Readership Development executive director Aralynn McMane praised R.AGE's active engagement of Malaysian youth, and the positive tone in which it reports youth issues.

i-Next India editor and chief operating officer Alok Sanwal said: “What R.AGE is doing is extremely exciting. It encompasses everything related to young people. It works hard to make them feel like they're an important part of the community.”

The South China Morning Post web editor Leon Lee said it was amazing how R.AGE had managed to build a huge following on Twitter.

“We're thinking about joining the bandwagon as well, but have always been hesitant about the reception.

“But after seeing how R.AGE has pushed through the initial difficult years online, we are very motivated to give it a go as well.”