This November, the 37th Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA) were held in Manila, Philippines, at the Star City Theatre. The theme of the 2015 Awards Ceremony was “Communicating the Family: A Privileged Place of Encounter with the Gift of Love” – based on Pope Francis’ message for World Communications Day on January 24, 2014.
In line with the occasion, the Holy Father said at the time: “In a world like this, media can help us to feel closer to one another, creating a sense of the unity of the human family which can in turn inspire solidarity and serious efforts to ensure a more dignified life for all”.
Founded by the late Archbishop Cardinal Jaime L. Sin in 1978, the CMMA Foundation has held an annual Awards Ceremony since, in order to “stress the importance of mass media and to instil a sense of responsibility in communicators”.
This year, the Foundation received a total of 803 entries across 60 mass media categories – encompassing print, radio, television, advertising, music, and the internet.
“World Mission” magazine, the international Catholic monthly magazine published by the Comboni Missionaries in Asia, received awards in four distinct categories:
Best Short Story: “Rising from the Pit”, by Ken Leslie;
Best Investigative Report: “Missionaries in China: Reinventing the Mission”, by Fr. Manuel Augusto Ferreira;
Best Website: “World Mission”, by Design For Tomorrow and WM staff; and
Special Citation for a Family-Oriented Magazine.
Since the Awards Ceremony took place, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, who is the current Archbishop of Manila and the current Honorary Chairman of CMMA, has called on the media to portray the family as a positive factor in the world today. Describing the stressors afflicting Filipino families, he nonetheless remained steadfast that “the family is the Good News of God”.
