TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Wei Fund for Educational and Journalistic Excellence on Wednesday held its inaugural Wei Ming-Kuang Prize ceremony.
CNA reported that the ceremony took place at National Chengchi University’s Center for Public and Business Administration Education. The awards are divided into two categories — the Advocacy Award and the Exploration Award — to underline both social engagement and in-depth reporting.
CommonWealth Magazine emerged as the biggest winner, taking top honors in both categories. Its winning projects examined how social media bots fuel polarization and a cross-border investigation into global waste, Economic Daily News reported.
“The media industry faces growing challenges in a fragmented information environment and in verifying facts,” National Chengchi University President Li Tsai-yen (李蔡彥) said. He added that credible, high-quality journalism is becoming increasingly important under such conditions.
Award committee convener Su Heng (蘇蘅) said the prize looks beyond traditional journalism awards to focus on future challenges. She said it encourages media organizations to adapt to trends such as artificial intelligence, big data, and new technologies, while developing sustainable business models.
Advocacy Award-winning projects showed how journalism can drive institutional reform and civic participation. These included cross-media self-regulation initiatives and participatory reporting that enables migrant workers and new residents to contribute their own stories, per Liberty Times.
Exploration Award recipients focused on international and investigative reporting. Projects covered post-war recovery in conflict zones such as Syria and Ukraine and included training programs to prepare journalists for work in high-risk environments.
Other recognized entries explored startup-style journalism and cross-sector collaboration. Organizers said these efforts aim to provide practical solutions for the industry while strengthening journalism’s role in serving the public interest, per UDN.
