Cebu Daily News makes 2-peat, bags three PPI awards

Cebu Daily News wins three prestigious awards from the Philippine Press Institute on July 5, 2019 — Best in Photojournalism, Best Editorial Page, and Best Edited Community Paper. | CDN Digital

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu’s only independent newspaper, Cebu Daily News (CDN), ended its run in the newspaper print industry or its last year of printing, on a high note with three awards from the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) Civic Journalism Community Press Awards at Hotel Jen, Roxas Boulevard, in Manila on Friday night, July 5, 2019.

The daily newspaper also made a two-peat — being named as the Best Edited Community Newspaper  daily category for two years in a row, bagging the recognition in 2017 and in 2018.

This is also the eighth time that CDN won the Best Edited Paper award (daily category) from PPI since 2001.

Read more: CDN bags PPI’s Best Edited Daily award

In the 2018 win for Best Edited Community Newspaper,  daily CDN bested Edge Davao for the award.

CDN also topped the Photojournalism category, edging Sun Star Baguio for the recognition and the Best in Editorial Page, beating Sun Star Baguio for the honor.

Aside from that, CDN was also a finalist for the Best Business and Economic Reporting category, which was won by Edge Davao.

For the Best in Photojournalism award, the daily was cited by PPI to have banner photos that “bears the hallmark of good photojournalism, striking readers with the importance or urgency of the news on print and leaving them a lasting impression.”

For its Best in Editorial,  PPI says that CDN’s “insightful writing style provides for an opportunity for its audience to reflect on the issues presented. The editorial also manifests a level of analysis that encourages critical thinking for the reader.”

Finally, CDN was considered by PPI as a daily newspaper that shows “consistency in covering local issues that have direct impact on the community, inspiring citizens to look squarely at problems and gut concerns that beset them.”

CDN, in its print days, was considered a catalyst for community action as it has empowered residents, including journalists themselves as part of that community, through quality writing and reporting.

Other awardees of the Civic Journalism Community Press Awards were daily paper Edge Davao for Best in Environmental Reporting, and the weekly papers including Metro Post for Best in Photojournalism, Baguio Chronicle for Best in Environmental Reporting, Business Week Mindanao for Best in Business and Economic Reporting, Bohol Chronicle for Best Editorial Page, and Herald Express as Best Edited Community Newspaper.

“Thank you PPI for this honor and recognition that allowed Cebu Daily News (to) end its run as a community newspaper on a high note,” said Edralyn Benedicto, the former Editor-in-chief of Cebu Daily News and the current Editor-in-chief of CDN Digital.

Although, the CDN newspaper ceased its printing on December 31, 2018, the same brand of journalism has been carried on its digital transformation, the CDN Digital, as a member of the Inquirer Interactives Inc. or Inquirer.net company.

CDN Digital, which launched on January 1, 2019, continues to serve the Cebuanos with the kind of journalism that “builds communities.”/dbs