Jakarta Globe Wins for 2015 SOPA Excellence in Opinion Writing for Editorial Coverage

Jakarta Globe, Jun 11, 2015

(JG Grab)

Jakarta. The Jakarta Globe received an award for excellence in opinion writing for its editorial coverage last year at the 2015 Awards of The Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) on Wednesday night in Hong Kong.

The Globe won in the Group B category, which is reserved for publications or websites with readership smaller than that of major newspapers and services like the International New York Times and Reuters.

One of the editorial entries was for Sept. 26, 2014, which focused on legislators’ decision in the waning days in office of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to pass a bill limiting direct elections. The title “Shame on SBY and His Non-Democrats” became a social media outcry for Indonesians, who took to Twitter by creating the hashtag #ShameOnYouSBY.

“Another example of fearless editorial commentary in a country in which it can still be dangerous to take on vested interests,” a judge commented in the decision for the award.

The SOPA Awards for Editorial Excellence were established in 1999 as a tribute to editorial excellence in both traditional and new media,  and were designed to encourage editorial vitality throughout the region, according to SOPA’s website.