Newspapers could fend off challenges from new types of media if journalists could equip themselves with such qualities as courage, sense of justice, sense of mission, and impartiality.

Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen said that at the annual Hong Kong News Award presentation ceremony organized by the Newspaper Society of Hong Kong yesterday.

Tsang said the print media still possesses its irreplaceable advantages though the new media do pose challenges to it.

He admitted the Internet is the fastest, most direct way of obtaining the most digestible information.

"In fact, facing the overflow of information nowadays, we need professional filtering and in-depth analysis for us to distinguish right from wrong. This is the unique function of traditional media," he said.

Tsang added the government is also often inspired by the press's incisive commentary when drawing up policy.

Besides, the press constantly reforms layout and content to face challenges and cater for the market, Tsang added.

He hopes the traditional print media would maintain and uphold their originality and credibility so as not to be overhauled by the new media.

He recalled hearing an outstanding journalist say that what he always bears in mind were four essential elements - "courage, sense of justice, sense of mission, and impartiality".

"As long as journalists could equip themselves with these qualities, the print media will not lag behind no matter how much the operation mode changes," Tsang said.

There are altogether 65 prizes in this year's award, including the new Best Scoop.

China Daily Hong Kong Edition snatched the 1st runner-up in Best News Writing (English).

The prize was awarded to the newspaper's feature writer Nicole Wong for her story about the work of Chi Heng Foundation, a Hong Kong charity sponsoring the education of children who lost parents to AIDS on the mainland.

The foundation's chairperson, To Chung, was a banker before he witnessed the quandary of AIDS-impacted villages around the mainland. He then decided to devote himself to humanitarian work.

The story also featured the stories of several AIDS orphans, who lived in unpleasant environment and almost dropped out of school.

With the help of Chi Heng Foundation, some of these children had the opportunities to complete tertiary education. They then returned to the foundation by working as volunteers.

(HK Edition 04/29/2008 page1)