LONDON, Today: NZME has nabbed the Best Use of Print award at the 2024 INMA Global Media Awards in London. Their standout project? The Hawke’s Bay Today Cyclone Gabrielle: Special Free Edition.
Last year, Cyclone Gabrielle wreaked havoc in Hawke’s Bay, claiming eight lives and cutting off Napier for days. Despite these challenges, NZME’s dedicated team produced and handed out 20,000 free copies of a vital 16-page update.
Printed in Wairarapa, these newspapers reached flood-hit communities with crucial info on power, food, roads, and rescue efforts, thanks to Civil Defence.
NZME also shined in other categories this year, making the finals with Imprint for Best Idea to Grow Advertising Sales, ‘The New Zealand Herald’ for Best Brand Awareness Campaign, and BusinessDesk NZ’s AI-Powered Markets Coverage for Best Use of AI in Customer-Facing Products.
Thank Murray Kirkness, NZME Chief Content Officer, expressed immense pride in the global recognition. “This award highlights the importance of print media during crises, enabling our team to support relief efforts to connect communities that might otherwise have been isolated.
“This award highlights the importance of print media during crises, enabling our team to support relief efforts to connect communities that might otherwise have been isolated.” – Murray Kirkness
“It also acknowledges the talent, resilience, and dedication of our team who worked tirelessly to keep our communities informed during a significant natural disaster, even when they were experiencing the aftermath themselves.”
Chris Hyde, Editor of Hawke’s Bay Today, reflected on the challenging conditions the team faced. “This edition was written and put together by journalists first on the scene of an unfolding disaster. Many of them could not get back to their homes at night.
“One had to abandon a company car as floodwaters rose around him. Another of the team was rescued with her family from the hard-hit Esk Valley, losing her house and everything she owned.
“There was an unshakeable desire, amid that chaos, to share what the region was going through. From the start, we wanted to do that, not just with the rest of the world online, but also with our communities – the people who needed the news most,” says Hyde.
Carolyn Luey, NZME Chief Digital and Publishing Officer, emphasised the significance of the award. “It’s an honour to be recognised with a major global award for providing an impactful piece of media that kept Kiwis in the know when they needed it most.
“Our focus on being New Zealand’s leading news destination is driven by our dedication to delivering reliable, timely information, especially in urgent situations like breaking news. The Cyclone Gabrielle special edition not only reflects our commitment to providing quality journalism to communities across the country but also highlights the importance of maintaining a high-quality and efficient print business.”
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