Inquirer Anniversary book wins Platinum Anvil Award

OUTSTANDING Members of Team Inquirer receive the Platinum Anvil for “The Inquirer Story: 30 Years of Shaping History.” Enjoying the moment are (from left): Anvil Awards committee chair Rochelle Elena Gamboa, Marianne Faith Reyes, Inquirer product assistant; Odelyn Orolaza, Inquirer library section head; Minerva Generalao, Inquirer research head; Ruel S. De Vera, Inquirer Books editor; Connie Kalagayan, Inquirer AVP for corporate affairs; and Dave S. Buenviaje, Inquirer AVP for marketing. —JILSON SECKLER TIU

It is the story of storytellers. Through the accounts of people behind the news, the coffee table book, “The Inquirer Story: 30 Years of Shaping History,” gives a different perspective on the momentous events that changed the course of Philippine history.

The book, which carries the voices of Inquirer men and women who have shown courage beyond words in three decades of journalism, won the Platinum Anvil in the PR Tools Category during the 52nd Anvil Awards of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines held in Makati City on March 10.

The Platinum award is given to outstanding public relations (PR) tools that stand out among those already rated “Gold” in their respective categories.

The Anvil, which symbolizes Excellence in Public Relations, is awarded to outstanding PR practitioners, programs and tools that are carefully screened by select PR professionals and judged by a distinguished multisectoral jury.

“This award is a testament to the collaborative effort of all the creative and hard-working individuals behind ‘The Inquirer Story,’ ” Ruel S. De Vera, publisher and editor of the book, said after receiving the award with the Inquirer team members.

Compelling

In her opening remarks during the awards night, Rochelle Elena Gamboa, chair of the 52nd Anvil Awards Committee, described the book as a good gift to millennials because of how it retold history in a compelling manner.

The 312-page book, published in 2015 by Inquirer Books, PDI’s book publishing arm, to commemorate the Inquirer’s 30 years as a chronicler of current events, was the brainchild of the late Inquirer editor in chief, Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc.

Her concept was to put together all the anniversary supplements of the paper published every Dec. 9.

The book puts together stories and articles that give an insight on the hows and whys of the paper’s operations, as well as the roles played by staff involved in the reporting of the news.

In “How ‘the pork’ was lost” (Dec. 9, 2013), Magsanoc wrote about the editorial process behind the pork barrel scam series, an investigative report that resulted in wide-ranging reforms in the government’s handling of taxpayer money and sent at least three influential senators behind bars.

The book also features front pages, editorials and stories in the past 30 years, including the maiden issue which came out on Dec. 9, 1985,  a timeline from 1985 to 2015, and a selection of the 30 most striking images that appeared on the pages of the Inquirer.

Memorable

Banner stories include the 1989 death of former strongman President Ferdinand Marcos, the July 1990 earthquake, the 1992 ejection of the US bases, the 1998 independence centennial and the 1999 “Media Shakeup” under then President Joseph Estrada, that had advertisers pulling out of the Inquirer.

From the turn of the millennium, the front pages selected include the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, Manny Pacquiao’s 2008 victory over Oscar de la Hoya, and the 2009 funeral of democracy icon and former President Corazon Aquino.

In the 2000s, the memorable events covered include the devastation wrought by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” in 2013,  the 2013 exposé on the pork barrel scam by whistleblower Benhur Luy, and Pope Francis’ visit in January 2015.

A total of 34 people from different departments—editors, writers, researchers, designers, photographers and editorial production assistants—worked on the book.

“We’ve done a lot of stuff about our role in Philippine history but this book is really about the Inquirer as an organization. It’s the first one we’ve done that serves to pay tribute (to the people behind the paper),” De Vera said, during the book’s launch on Dec. 6, 2015.

“PR professionals can look at this case as a reminder that the opportunity to tell the brand’s story exist even in the simplest experiences,” said Dave S. Buenviaje, PDI Assistant Vice President for Marketing.

“With this project, we hope to share the inside story of the Inquirer and show that the fearless news creators are also fearless innovators, and that more than just creators of daily pages or chroniclers of events, the men and women of Inquirer are shapers of history as well,” he added.

Relevance

Entries under the PR Tools category (Publications) were judged based on the content’s relevance, messaging, information sufficiency, suitability to the target public and excellence of writing and editing (50 points); concept design and creative execution (20 points), and impact—how it achieved its PR objectives and engaged the target public (30 points).

Other big winners in this year’s Anvil Awards were Smart Communications, Inc., which won Company of the Year, and Manila Electric Company, which bagged the PR Team of the Year.

For its 52nd edition, Anvil Awards received more than 400 entries—PR programs or tools— implemented between Oct. 1, 2015 and Sept. 30, 2016.

Since its inception in 1963, Anvil Awards has grown in scope and stature and now covers a total of 36 specific categories for programs and tools, and 8 special categories.