'Post' wins two awards from Foreign Ministry

Veeramalla Anjaiah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 01/06/2009 4:11 PM  

The Jakarta Post has won the Foreign Ministry's 2008 Adam Malik Award in two categories for its coverage of foreign news in 2008. The Post won the Best Newspaper/Magazine category. 

It's foreign desk reporter, Tony Hotland, also won in the "Best Journalist" category. 

In the Online Media category, the Kompas.com site team won the award, while in the Electronic Media category the Voice of Indonesia (Radio Republik Indonesia's external service) won the annual award. 

Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda presented awards to the Post's chief editor, Endy M. Bayuni, and to Tony, as well as to other winners at a simple ceremony at the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. 

This year's winners were selected on the basis of three criteria, Hassan said. 

"The first criterion was an accurate presentation of facts. The second was creating balanced and objective public opinion and the third was educating the public in foreign policy," Hassan said while announcing the winners. 

It is not the first time the Post has won the Adam Malik Award, which takes its name from a former journalist and foreign minister, taking home the honors in 2004, 2005 and 2007. In 2006, the Post's reporter Abdul Khalik also won the award in the Best Journalist category. 

The ministry first presented the awards to national media in 2002.