The Public Television Station recently held an awards ceremony for the 2019 PEOPO Citizen News Award at the Brainstorming University Conference Center. The total number of entries for this award this year was 179. Having been strictly selected by senior professional journalists, various competitions were shortlisted in 9 groups to enter the final. It was not easy to get the judges' favor. The work "The Voice of My Island," directed by Prof. Lu-Ping Zheng of the Department of Information and Communication, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, performed well in this selection and won an excellency award of student group in journalism.

【A shooting scene of the film "The Voice of My Island"-1】

In order to encourage students to participate in online audio and video citizen journalism and improve the quality of news reporting, the Public Television Station has held the Civic Journalism Awards since 2007. It is an indicator for students of the departments related to news and communication studies in Taiwan. The Public Television Station provides a PEOPO news platform, allowing students to learn from each other and to improve the quality and objectivity of news contents through professional reviews and strong lineups of participation.

【A shooting scene of the film "The Voice of My Island"-2】

"Voice Dissemination" is a news team formed by senior students Zhi-Yun Lin and Zhi-Yu Tsai of the Department of Information and Communication, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology. Its award-winning work, "The Voice of My Island," is an in-depth feature report focused on mother tongues. It tells that there are more than 50 mother tongues in Taiwan, which came from its complex and diverse cultural backgrounds. However, owing to the number of ethnic groups, regional factors, and power struggles, one mainstream culture and other disadvantaged cultures gradually came into form and yet went their separate ways. The mother tongue of the mainstream culture gradually became the second most important language than the official language. Over time, the mother tongues of the disadvantaged cultures began to be forgotten by the general public. Children of vulnerable cultures tend to reduce their own cultural identities and their willingness to learn their mother tongues as they have gradually declined. Faced with this cultural decline, mother tongues and their cultures are confronted with an extinction crisis. The news team hopes that their report can make the public face the problem that the cultures of weak mother tongues have been gradually declining.

【A scene from the editing of the film "The Voice of My Island"】

Bing-Zhang Chen, Chairman of the Department of Information and Communication, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, said that it is the result of the joint efforts of teachers and students that the students’ graduation work "The Voice of My Island" won the 2019 PEOPO Citizen News Award. It meets the goal of the professional workers of digital communications for humane care, creative thinking and professional skills. Prof. Lu-Ping Zheng revealed that during the production of the project, the two students read a lot of literature and were diligent working in field investigations. Their interviews covered all cover the island, and they succeeded in collecting different views and opinions from various life circles to present multiple perspectives. The hard work of the two students not only bring them the honor of the Citizen News Award, but also made them realize that as a journalist, they have the responsibility and mission to reflect the status quo of the society. At the same time, gratitude should be given to the Public Television Station for providing them such a stage to make young students shine. Gratitude should also be given to the reviewers for their recognition and encouragement.

【The graduation project "The Voice of My Island" by the Department of Information and Communication, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, won the 2019 PEOPO Citizen News Award, and the award was presented to the team member Zhi-Yu Tsai (middle) and Zhi-Yun Lin (right)by Professor Chao-Zhen Lin (left) of the Institute of Journalistic Studies, National Taiwan University】

【"Voice Dissemination"—Zhi-Yun Lin (right) and Zhi-Yu Tsai (middle)—from the Department of Information and Communication, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, after they won the award】