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Penning passions for truth: UIC's future journalists triumph at China Daily's news competition

Published on 10 December 2024

China Daily organised the Campus News Awards (CNA) 2024 recently, and the ceremony was held at UIC on 9 December 2024, welcoming over 300 students, teachers, journalism scholars and media industry representatives.

Group photo

Organised by China Daily Hong Kong in 2012, CNA aims to enhance the journalism skills of students from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. This year, more than 3,000 participants from more than 90 institutions have submitted nearly 1,000 entries in English and Chinese. UIC students won 11 awards, and UIC was recognised with the Most Active Participation Award.

UIC students on stage receive awards

UIC win the Most Active Participation Award

The ceremony began with speeches from guests and the UIC President, who shared their thoughts and expectations for the students.

Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Mr Cheuk Wing-hing inspired the students to cultivate an innovative spirit, strive to become the backbone of the future news industry and contribute to intercultural communication.

Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Mr Cheuk Wing-hing

Deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily Group and editor-in-chief of China Daily Hong Kong Mr Zhou Li expressed his hope that students will grow to adapt to the rapidly changing media environment, strive to uphold the social significance and value of news, and bravely face the challenges of the new era.

Deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily Group and editor-in-chief of China Daily Hong Kong Mr Zhou Li

UIC President Prof Chen Zhi said that UIC's students have actively participated in competitions over the past four years, winning 51 awards and showcasing their qualities and professionalism. He encouraged the students to maintain their passion and continuously strive to reach new heights in the field of journalism and communication.

UIC President Prof Chen Zhi

Students of UIC's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences have excelled in the competition.

Huang Jingting and Li Zhiru brought home the Winner Prize for Best in News Writing, the Winner Prize for Best in Headline Writing, and the Second Runner up for Best in Business News Reporting, with their focus on marginalised communities.

Huang Jingting (left) and Li Zhiru (right)

"UIC's educational approach has profoundly impacted us. Our teachers always support us to write what we care about,” said Huang, and she regarded it crucial to their growth.

As a journalist, she thinks it's important to remain humble during interviews, as the interviewees may tell their stories in various ways. "There's a term called 'keep running' in our profession, which I think is very important," she said. "Whether as a reporter or a content creator, we always need to adjust our pace to keep up with the times."

The team of Shuang Xingshuo, Zhao Borui, Xu Jingqi and Yang Haotian won the First Runner up for Best in Feature Writing and the First Runner up for Best in Headline Writing. Shuang mentioned that Dr Vincent Lam had guided them in their work and opened their eyesight to the global stage.

Yang Haotian, Zhao Borui, Shuang Xingshuo and Xu Jingqi (from left)

As Shuang and his teammates prepared for the competition, they were deeply moved by the people and events they encountered, which motivated them to write their stories. Shuang said that as a subject of humanities, the focus of journalism "must always be on people".

Lin Chang, Ma Yuyao, Gu Jinyi and He Xiaoli also teamed up and won the First Runner up for Best in Business News Reporting by exposing the social chaos of "paid internships." For students interested in participating in the competition in the future, He advised, "Don't be afraid of difficulties and believe in yourself."

He Xiaoli, Gu Jinyi, Ma Yuyao and Lin Chang (from left)

The award ceremony was graced by officials from various Hong Kong, Macao, and Zhuhai government departments and the Hong Kong Newspaper Society. UIC Party Secretary of the College Party Committee and Vice President (Administration) Prof Mao Yaqing also attended the ceremony.