Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has again maintained its outstanding achievement for the third consecutive year as the best university managing its internal website and magazine.
The awards were presented at the Serikat Perusahaan Pers (SPS) Awards, which were held at the Press Council Hall in Jakarta on Friday (May 23).
This year, UGM received the Silver Winner award in the Best Internal University Magazine subcategory for KABAR UGM Issue I/2024, followed by Universitas Indonesia with UIMAGZ Issue XXV/2024.
KABAR UGM had previously been the gold winner for two consecutive years, but no university magazine received the Gold Winner award this year.
In the subcategory of Best University Website, UGM’s official site (https://ugm.ac.id/) was awarded the Silver Winner, making it the only university to receive an award in this category. This achievement marks the third time UGM has been recognized as the best in website management.
UGM Secretary Dr. Andi Sandi congratulated the website and KABAR UGM editorial teams for receiving this prestigious recognition from SPS.
According to Dr. Sandi, earning such an award is not easy, as all entries undergo a rigorous evaluation by a jury composed of media professionals and industry experts.
“This award further motivates our Public Relations and News teams to continue striving for excellence,” he said.
Dr. Sandi noted that this award serves as external recognition of UGM’s information channels that convey beneficial content to the public, including updates on the university’s tri-dharma mission and perspectives from faculty members on various social and national issues.
“We are grateful for the appreciation given to our work. However, the areas in which we have yet to succeed will serve as input for us to continuously improve,” he added.
The SPS Awards is a prestigious competition that celebrates excellence in journalistic work from media professionals, campus media, and corporate or institutional publications across Indonesia.
This year’s awards ceremony was attended by 400 leaders from press companies, public relations officers from government institutions and corporations, and student press managers from across the country.
Januar P. Ruswita, Chairperson of SPS, emphasized that the press is an essential pillar of information in Indonesia. Therefore, the sustainability of the press industry deserves greater attention from both the government and stakeholders in the media ecosystem.
“A commitment to accurate and transparent information will lead to a golden generation. Turning a blind eye to the spread of disinformation, hoaxes, hate speech, discrimination, fraud, pornography, bullying, trolling, and doxing is akin to allowing darkness to overshadow the future,” he said.
Now in its 16th year, the SPS Awards features several competition categories, including the Indonesia Print Media Awards (IPMA), Indonesia Inhouse Magazine Awards (InMA), Indonesia Young Readers Awards (IYRA), Indonesia Student Media Awards (ISMA), and Indonesia Digital Media Awards (IDMA).
Seven notable figures served on the jury for this year’s SPS Awards. Their backgrounds span graphic design, branding, digital media, social media, photojournalism, marketing, advertising, mass communication, and journalism.
The jury included a senior journalist and communication expert from the University of Indonesia, Professor Ibnu Hamad, and senior journalist Sapto Anggoro.
Other jurors included Asmono Wikan, Founder of PR INDONESIA Group and Secretary-General of SPS; Sari Soegondo, a communication expert and Chairperson of the Indonesian Public Relations Companies Association; Oscar Motuloh, senior photojournalist and Executive Board member of the Indonesian Photography Society; Jonathan Kriss, a branding, graphic design, and digital expert; and Danu Kusworo, senior photojournalist at Kompas.
Author: Gusti Grehenson