Two more in the bag

 Indian Link brings home more honours in this month’s Multicultural Media Awards

 

Indian Link has done it again! They added two new awards to their growing portfolio of media honours at the recently held 2nd Multicultural Media Awards (MMA). They took out Coverage of Community Affairs Abroad and Online Innovation in News Blog or News Website Design at the presentation dinner held on Monday September 2, at NSW Parliament House. These awards have been added to their portfolio of accolades, including ones from the 2011 NSW Premier’s Subcontinent Community Awards, 2012 Parliament of NSW Multicultural Media Awards and 2013 NSW Premier’s Multicultural Media Awards. It has certainly been a busy few years for the media group.
“It is indeed heartening to see Indian Link being appreciated not only within the community but now in the mainstream, and so consistently,” Pawan Luthra, CEO of Indian Link, said.
“Multicultural journalists bring communities together and break down social and cultural barriers,” said the Chair of MMA, Shaoquett Moselmane MLC, during his speech. “They inform, they inspire and they involve and they turn challenges into opportunities. Ethnic media is not just a mass communication medium; it is a personal, social, cultural and emotional tool as it combines the voices of many”. Moselmane personally congratulated Indian Link on winning a stack of awards two years in a row, as he posed for photographs with the Indian Link team.
“Of course these latest awards, like our previous awards, belong equally to all of our 70-odd contributors across the country,” said Rajni Luthra, Indian Link’s Editor-in-Chief. “Their work for us is driven by nothing more than a passion for telling the people’s stories, in a fair and objective manner, and is often undertaken over and above their own day job and family responsibilities. Pawan and I salute their efforts in helping us reach this level”.
Rajni also had a special word for the core team that works within the office at Indian Link. “The marketing staff, Vivek Trivedi, Nitika Sondhi Verma and Ashish Chawla; human resources manager Antoinette Mullins, assistant editor Lena Peacock, designer Danielle Cairis and contributing editors Sheryl Dixit and Preeti Jabbal, together oversee the work of the contributors on the paper as well as the radio arm of the company, and make sure a quality product goes out every fortnight in print and daily on air,” she said. “There is a strong commitment to excellence that I am very proud of, and I congratulate each one of our team members”.
Not including the ones that Indian Link won, the categories included; Multicultural Journalist of the Year, Coverage of Community Affairs in Australia, Cultural Photographer of the Year, Feature writing, News Reporting, Editorial Reporting, Contribution to Social Inclusion and Multiculturalism, Coverage of Indigenous Affairs, Investigative Reporting, Editorial Cartoon (a new category), and Online Coverage of Multicultural Community Affairs.
The Master of Ceremonies of the evening was Yalda Hakim (ex-SBS presenter, and current presenter for BBC London), and the special guests for the evening were Ministers Tony Burke and Kate Lundy, Indigenous Elder Brian Butler AM from the National Congress of Australia’s First people, Deputy opposition leader Linda Burney, Luke Foley, Amanda Fazio, Greg Donnelly, esteemed consular dignitaries, business and community leaders. It was an interesting time for an event at Parliament House, due to it being held just days before the 2013 Federal Election.
“You have turned challenges into opportunities, and at a time when mainstream print media is struggling, you are not only surviving, but thriving,” Moselmane said on the night, addressing the multicultural media. “Today, you have made multicultural Australia a success by enriching it with your talents, skill, hard work and dedication”.
Moselmane also revealed that until 1955 “the foreign language press, as it was called, was viewed with suspicion, and some thought it served as a hindrance to assimilation rather than help”. Restrictions were imposed by the government, and at least  25% of the text had to be published in the English language. Today, however, thankfully things have changed and the multicultural media are celebrated with their hard work by awards such as this.
Indian Link has certainly grown from the small 24-page black and white newspaper to having full colour monthly editions across Australia, as well as fortnightly Sydney editions, a 24-hour radio station, e-paper, e-newsletters, interactive website, and wide range of social media. Indian Link is not just a media group, it is a forum for the community, with a strong focus on quality and authenticity. It is most definitely seen as a celebration of assimilation and the media groups seems to be showing no signs of slowing down.
 
 
Indian Link: Online Innovation in News Blog or News Website Design
 
The Indian Link Media Group has embraced technology since starting in 1994 and has remained one step ahead in terms of cutting edge technology. They recently launched their newly designed website www.indianlink.com.au, and have increased their online and social media presence. With enhanced functionality and a stylish, contemporary design, the website uses innovative technology. With full social media integration, Indian Link is able to interact with their readers like never before. The website is now available across all platforms, including smart phones, tablets and other devices, for information on the go. It links the newspaper (through the e-paper), 24/7 radio (which can be listened to online or through an app) and online content (linking in to social media and e-newsletters).
 
Indian Link: Coverage of Community Affairs Abroad
Although the main thrust of reportage in Indian Link is on issues that connect India and Australia, substantial effort is also devoted to coverage of major issues in India. Every edition of Indian Link features news from India, as well as pieces on India’s literature and cinema. These regular columns keep the Indian community in Australia abreast of movements in India in all areas of endeavour.
With the Indian Link Sydney edition being the only English language paper for the Indian community being printed fortnightly in Australia, the regularity of these features are an important source of information for many Indians living in Australia.
 
 
Full list of awards:
Multicultural Journalist of the Year
Gerry Gerogatos, 1. The Stringer 2. The National Indigenous Times
Coverage of Community Affairs Abroad
Rajni Anand Luthra and Pawan Luthra, Indian Link
Coverage of Community Affairs in Australia
Linna Lee, TOP Media
Cultural Photographer of the Year
Oi Ling Jojo Lee, Sing Tao Daily
Feature writing
Helen Velissaris, Neos Kosmos
News Reporting
Wing Yam Lee, Sing Tao Daily
Editorial Reporting
Patrick Zhu, Oursteps
Contribution to Social Inclusion and Multiculturalism
Jan Smith, 3ZZZ Radio
Coverage of Indigenous Affairs
Gerry Georgatos, The National Indigenous Times
Investigative Reporting
Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer
Editorial Cartoon
Joel Magpayo, The Philippine Times
Online Innovation in News Blog or News Website Design
Rajni Anand Luthra and Pawan Luthra, Indian Link
Online Coverage of Multicultural Community Affairs
Steve Giannakouras, www.greekcity.com.au