As we began working on this year’s Awards report, we were pleased to see that smaller or local news organisations were well represented in our numerous Digital Media Awards competitions.
Indeed, a closer look at this year’s Digital Media Awards Worldwide competition, and previous editions, will be encouraging to those from smaller and mid-sized organisations: real innovation should be recognised – and rewarded! – no matter the size of a news organisation.
The cases explored in this report span the globe – from India to Taiwan, Hong Kong to Sweden, USA to South Africa.
This report is available free for WAN-IFRA Members, click here for details.
AI innovations help drive subscriptions
Austria’s Russmedia earned Best Use of AI in the Newsroom with its “Russmedia meets AI” initiative, enhancing newsroom efficiency and audience engagement through AI-powered CMS upgrades, automated image search, and tailored content strategies.
“By integrating AI, we aimed to create a dynamic ecosystem where technology and human creativity work in tandem. AI’s ability to handle routine tasks allows our editors to dedicate more time to in-depth interviews and thorough research, resulting in compelling stories that truly put people at the centre,” said Stefan Sutterlüty, Russmedia’s Head of Newsportals.
Similarly, India’s Newslaundry was awarded Best Innovative Digital Product. As the country’s first ad-free, crowdfunded news app, it leverages accessibility tools, podcast integrations, and custom AI solutions to drive subscriptions. With more than 50,000 paying users, it thrives in India’s price-sensitive market through innovation.
“As an independent newsroom, we focused on identifying pain points – especially tedious, repetitive tasks – and using AI to address them. Instead of retrofitting generic AI tools, we tailored solutions to our specific needs, ensuring meaningful impact,” noted Chitranshu Tewari, Director, Product and Revenue.
Adding to this momentum, Taiwan’s United Daily News Group achieved groundbreaking results with its Curate X programme and won the Best Digital Subscription Product. By embedding data-driven insights and audience segmentation into newsroom workflows, the initiative optimised content strategies, resulting in a 280 percent subscription growth and 180 percent membership penetration.
Engagement across platforms
Ekstra Bladet, Denmark, won Best Use of AI in Revenue Strategy by boosting subscriptions 35 percent through its Platform Intelligence in News (PIN) project. Using AI-driven tools for personalisation, content connection, and news automation, the publisher achieved higher readership, click-through rates, and subscription growth.
In India, The Hindu, earned recognition for Best in Audience Engagement with its Made of Chennai campaign. Celebrating the city’s diversity and culture, the campaign combined interactive events and digital content to reach more than 20 million people online and engage 200,000 in person, strengthening brand loyalty and fostering a deeper community connection.
Bonnier News in Sweden, won the Best in Native Advertising award with its campaign with the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation. By integrating a donation feature within articles, the campaign shattered Bonnier’s engagement records, achieving more than five times the expected page views, a 40 percent increase in reading time, and surpassing donation targets.
“Ultimately, it’s all about the numbers. Converting high volumes of page views and time spent into donations was the campaign’s core challenge. Testing, learning, and refining strategies throughout the campaign were essential to its success,” said Patrik Hermansson, Team Lead Native, Bonnier News.
The Guardian US set a new standard with its Reclaim Your Brain newsletter, and was awarded the Best Newsletter. It attracted 90,000 subscribers in its first month and achieved 5 million views globally, driving significant engagement.
“Our aim was to challenge the overuse of phones, and provide access to some of the latest reporting and research on phone addiction. We wanted people to feel happier about their screen time, fostering deeper connections with themselves and the world around them,” said Max Benwell, Audience Engagement Editor.
South China Morning Post, Hong Kong, earned Best Use of Video for its SCMP Films, which produced impactful long-form videos on social, political, and environmental issues across Asia, reaching 40 million views in 2023.
Food For Mzansi, South Africa, won Best Podcast for Farmer’s Inside Track, a vital agricultural resource with more than 400 episodes and a growing membership of 53,000.
Excellence in personalisation and storytelling
Norway’s Amedia won Best News Website for its ALT service, offering personalised news curation from over 100 titles. With 60,000 weekly users and 400,000 total subscribers, ALT’s success lies in user feedback and data insights, driving 100 new subscriptions and 30 conversions weekly.
Reuters claimed Best Data Visualisation for its powerful graphics on fentanyl trafficking, using 10 years of data to highlight the scale of the crisis.
Agence France-Presse earned Best Fact-Checking Project for its “How to Verify Information Online” series, educating viewers on effective fact-checking techniques through short, engaging videos.
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