Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo scored two of the World Printers Forum’s three top awards this week, honoured for ‘next gen’ reader engagement and creativity in print advertising.
The sustainability and print innovation awards were presented during WAN-Ifra’s World Printers Forum in Munich, with editor and publisher Matiur Rahman declaring the global honour, “recognition not just for Prothom Alo, but for Bangladesh.
“Through year-long regional supplements and our coverage during the July Mass Uprising, we set new benchmarks in local journalism and reader engagement,” he said.
The awards – honouring excellence in media innovation, reader engagement and sustainability in publishing – were presented on Wednesday evening. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-based English-language newspaper the New Straits Times and DMG Ireland were joint winners of the ‘print digital fusion’ award.
Award winners 2025:
Next Gen Reader Engagement Award:
Prothom Alo – ‘Echoes of Defiance: Engaging a Generation Through Truth and Resilience’. Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo was recognised for its bold commitment to youth engagement and press freedom during the July Revolution in 2024. Judges said the project provided a vital platform for young voices and reaffirmed journalism’s enduring role in challenging political times: grounded in truth, independent of political sway, and steadfast in its principles.
Print Digital Fusion Award (joint winners):
New Straits Times – ‘Heard the News?’ Malaysia’s New Straits Times impressed the jury with its innovative educational initiative Heard the News?, providing an innovative bridge between journalism and language education.
DMG Media, Ireland – ‘ExtraG’. Ireland’s ExtraG Gach Seachtain, a weekly bilingual print and digital supplement from DMG Media Ireland and the Irish Daily Mail was celebrated for its role in meeting new legislative requirements while unlocking cultural and commercial potential, bringing the Irish language to life for the next generation audience.
Print Advertising Creativity Award
Prothom Alo – ‘Beyond the Capital’. A second award went to Prothom Alo for its regional supplement Beyond the Capital. Designed for communities often underserved by traditional distribution, the project demonstrated the power of hyperlocal journalism, combining editorial relevance with a compelling advertising proposition that supports local businesses and fosters community identity.
Pictured (top, centre) Matiur Rahman with (from left) WPF director Ingi Rafn Olafsson and jury chair Gundula Ullah, who is chief sustainability officer of Funke Mediengruppe
Below, from left: Ingi Rafn Olafsson, Prothom Alo marketing director Md Azwaj Khan, Matuir Rahman, New Straits Times group editor Farrah Naz Karim, and Gundula Ullah