The quality tabloid Ilta-Sanomat won a Jury Commendation in the World Young Reader Prize competition for the Obama Extra supplement, which was published in February. The competition is organised by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishing (WAN-IFRA).
This is the first time the jury awarded a commendation to a single Finnish newspaper. The jury described the Obama Extra supplement as fun and educational. According to the jury, the supplement provided wide-ranging information and insights on an event that electrified the world and inspired young people in particular.
Intended for schools, the supplement discussed the election of Barack Obama as the first African-American president of the United States and the significance of this election for the world. The publication was divided into sections according to theme, and each section featured questions and tasks for the target group: Finnish students between 12 and 19 years of age.
The project supervisors at Ilta-Sanomat were Ulla Appelsin, managing editor, and Jari Alenius, head of international news.
"We have recently strived to invest in youth and child affairs in particular. We are, of course, happy and honored that this work earned us a world-renowned accolade," Ulla Appelsin says.
The annual WAN-IFRA World Young Reader Awards highlight innovative newspapers that have attracted young readers and succeeded in promoting diverse reading habits. The competition was first organised in 1999.
The Brazilian Zero Hora and the British Express&Echo shared the first prize this year. The former has developed into the most popular news medium among young people in its country, and the latter has inspired youth with its environmental projects.
The Obama Extra supplement is available on the Ilta-Sanomat website, at www.iltasanomat.fi/digilehti/obama-extra.
Ilta-Sanomat is a part of Sanoma News, a division of the Sanoma Group.