SA's Food For Mzansi Group wins Wan-Ifra 2024 Digital Media Awards Podcast category
South Africa’s Food For Mzansi Group has won the 2024 Digital Media Awards Worldwide Best Podcast category for its podcast, Farmer Inside Track.
It is the only South African and African entry to feature on the overall winners’ list, which is chosen from the winners of the regional level of the Awards held this past year in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas and South Asia.
Yesterday, Monday 27 May, Wan-Ifra announced the 2024 Digital Media Awards Worldwide winners in Copenhagen at a ceremony at the 75th World News Media Congress.
The awards acknowledge excellence and groundbreaking digital innovation across 12 categories that recognise the changing way people receive and engage with news.
The winners
Best use of AI in revenue strategy
Winner: Ekstra Bladet, JP/Politikens Hus, Denmark: Platform Intelligence in News (PIN)
Judges comment: “Brilliant. Deep, mature and well-presented project. This is it: AI done well. Solid, well thought venture of a serious business into dangerous territory. So much to be learned: applause.”
Best use of ai in the newsroom
Winner: Russmedia, Austria: Russmedia meets AI
Judges comment: “Russmedia has created a comprehensive integration of AI across its newsroom workflows that is impressive in scale while at the same time being sensitive to editorial responsibilities. The approach was well thought through, thorough and transparent. They have thought about how to future proof their integrations while also bringing staff along for the journey.”
Best digital subscription/reader revenue project
Winner: United Daily News Group, Taiwan: Cracking the Code: How Our Homegrown Data-Driven Curation Program Reshaped Subscription Growth
Judges comment: “From value of news content to newsroom transformation to fulfilling business needs, United Daily News Group has shown its competency to make this project a great success with data-driven curation approach reshaping subscription growth.”
Best in audience engagement
Winner: The Hindu Group, India: The Hindu Made of Chennai
Judges comment: “An amazing project connecting people and the city via comprehensive touch points across various media. A testament of how powerful a media platform could be when it’s used in a very creative way!”
Best innovative digital product
Winner: News Laundry Media Private Limited, India: Newslaundry App
Judges comment: “Digital audiences are expecting user centric products and experiences that match their current consumption habits at other apps. This is a great case that confirms how important it is to prioritise ’product’ strategies and not only ’pricing’ strategies, when we move to subscription based models.”