2024
Nur Adilah Mahbob, Deputy News Editor, Berita Harian. An internship at Singapore’s Malay-language Berita Harian newspaper led Adilah to a scholarship and a career in journalism covering the Malay-Muslim community close-up. She now oversees daily newsroom operations, the Lifestyle section and BH Lab, a new team focused on hyperlocal stories and extending the paper’s reach through viral social media stories.
Davina Tham, Senior Journalist, CNA Digital. Davina was a Singapore foreign service officer before making the switch to journalism, first in Taiwan and then at Channel News Asia. She has covered local court stories, security and regional politics, learning on the go. A move to the manpower beat this year has opened a whole new area to explore and report.
2023
Aqil Haziq Mahmud, Senior Journalist, Channel News Asia, Singapore. Haziq has not forgotten the public response to an early story he wrote about a teenager with cerebral palsy working to help his family financially while studying accountancy. A major firm offered the boy an internship which made a difference in his life. Haziq covers Malaysian politics and climate change for CNA Digital’s Malaysia bureau, holding on always to knowing the best that journalism can do.
2022
Nam Yunzhou, Political Correspondent, Lianhe Zaobao. As a correspondent covering politics and defence, Yunzhou analyses geopolitical developments in the Asia-Pacific region and how they affect Singapore. His work has won him several accolades. Yunzhou hopes to explore social stories in the region.
2021
Joyce Teo, Senior Health Correspondent, The Straits Times. Joyce has won awards for her Covid-19 coverage, and hosts a popular fortnightly podcast on health matters. She also writes about social problems such as mental health discrimination and ageism, hoping to change attitudes to such issues. Her interests are cooking, listening to music and podcasts and checking out new cafes.
2019
Chia Lee Suan, Associate News Editor (Crime and Court), Lianhe Zaobao and Lianhe Wanbao. After 26 years, Lee Suan says: “Journalism is my ultimate passion.” She runs a team of 14 crime and court reporters, and the impact of great stories keeps her in love with the job. She once wrote about two siblings with a rare disease, and it moved readers to donate more than $400,000, enabling the pair to seek medical treatment abroad. For her research project, she wants to look at terrorism reporting in Singapore’s context and how media would cover an event on the scale of the recent Christchurch or Sri Lanka tragedies.
2017
Say Xiangyu is a current affairs and documentary producer with MediaCorp’s Channel News Asia. For her award-winning 2016 documentary on the haze, she spent 10 days in Kalimantan, Indonesia, one of the areas worst-affected areas by the man-made calamity. Her 2017 hit is a series on trash and reducing wastage. For her AJF project Xiangyu wants to find out what it’s like to be a teenager in 2017. Stay tuned.
2016
Toh Yong Chuan. Senior Correspondent, The Straits Times. Former civil servant Yong Chuan switched to journalism and quickly made his mark as an award-winning news reporter and feature writer. He will examine how NGOs help migrant workers who are injured, engaged in disputes with their employers or in distress. He hopes to produce a first-person account by spending two days a week as a volunteer case worker with an NGO.
Neo Chai Chin. Correspondent, Today. Chai Chin is an alumnus of the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information and has been a journalist for nine years. She wants to develop a package of stories about Singaporeans involved in environmental conservation overseas and use that to discuss vulnerable ecosystems and wildlife in the region.
2015
Chairul Fahmy Hussaini. Chairul is the deputy digital editor for Singapore’s Malay-language daily, helping to strengthen the paper’s online business and guide its coverage of key events. He also serves as a political correspondent. He wants to write about the changing business of journalism.
2014
Quek Sy Mung. Chief Sub-editor for Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao.
2013
Lee Ching Yee. Correspondent at the Singapore Press Holdings. Project: Examine the pros and cons of fresh round of discourse over the privatization of public transport.
2011
Serene Luo. Journalist, The Straits Times. Youth beat reporter and deputy to the editor of The Straits Times Schools publications. Topic: engaging young readers.
2010
Lyn Chan. Head of the multimedia creative team for RazorTV, the web TV arm of The Straits Times. Nominated by Singapore Press Holdings. Plans to study the business aspects of media convergence.