ECONOMYNEXT – An opinion piece on the island nation’s sovereign default by Bellwether published in Sri Lanka’s Economy Next news website is among the finalists for the prestigious Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) award under Excellence in Opinion Writing.
Economy Next’s opinion piece titled ‘Sri Lanka’s collapse in new sovereign default wave is not really China’s fault’ by Bellwether published in May 2023 has been finalized for the award under the Regional/Local category.
The article discusses sovereign debt defaults and blames US monetary policy for creating conditions that make them more likely.
It argues that easy money policies by the Federal Reserve (Fed), followed by tightening, contribute to sovereign debt crises, and offers a critical perspective on the international monetary system.
This is the first time the news website has been finalized for such an international award.
From Sri Lanka, Economy Next is the sole media outlet that has been among the finalists for the 2024 awards.
The winners will be announced at the June 20 hybrid awards ceremony.
SOPA’s annual Awards for Editorial Excellence are given to recognize and reward great journalism. The annual awards are highly coveted and have become a highlight of the regional media calendar.
SOPA’s Editorial Committee, composed of senior journalists, oversees the awards in coordination with SOPA’s board of publisher representatives.
The Journalism and Media Studies Centre at The University of Hong Kong, known as JMSC, has administered the awards since 2011, recruiting distinguished former or current journalists and academics from around the world to be judges.
More than 90 SOPA awards are given out each year in an array of categories, which are periodically reviewed to keep pace with the ever-evolving ways that journalism is delivered to consumers. (Colombo/May 3/2024)