ITANAGAR, 17 Nov: The Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) on Sunday presented the annual Excellence in Journalism Awards to journalists and media organisations for exemplary work across diverse categories on the occasion of National Press Day (NPD).
Instituted to encourage ethical, ground-based and impactful reportage in the state, the awards are presented every year in memory of veteran journalists V Ravindran and Taro Chatung, both regarded as pioneers of professional journalism in Arunachal Pradesh.
Ravindran, a former editor and one of the earliest chroniclers of the state’s socio-political evolution, is remembered for setting high standards of writing and public-interest reporting.
Chatung, widely known as Arunachal’s first video journalist and an advocate of free and responsible press, remains a towering figure who inspired generations of young reporters.
The awards were instituted to uphold their legacy while recognising journalists who contribute meaningfully to public discourse.
In this year’s V Ravindran Excellence in Journalism Awards, Marina Dai won in the human interest category for her story ‘Mobility crisis in Itanagar: Rising vehicle dependency and struggling infrastructure’, published in Down to Earth magazine.
The politics and governance award went to Liyum Ete for the NewsFy report ‘Electric fires main cause of blaze surge in Arunachal’.
Under the Taro Chatung Excellence in Journalism Awards, DDK Itanagar was adjudged the winner in the human interest section for its documentary ‘New Dawn – New Voices’.
In the politics and governance category, Khyoda Yapi and Akom Tanju Don received the award for their NewsFy ground report ‘On the ground: Siang dam backed by some, others demand dialogue’.
The investigative award was conferred on Yomge Chisi and Akom Tanju Don for their NewsFy investigation ‘From fields to the streets: Inside Arunachals’ drug trade’.
The awards were presented during the state-level observance of the National Press Day, marked annually to reaffirm the role of free, ethical and accountable media in a democracy.
