Mr. Hiroya Kato (29), a Web developer at the Editorial Data Visual Center of Nikkei Inc., was selected as one of the "30 global news media young professionals to win the 30 Under 30 Awards," announced by the International News Media Association (INMA) on September 30.

INMA selected 30 people from among 133 candidates for the 30 Under 30 Awards. The winners were categorized into five groups: Advertising, Audience, Content, Leadership, and Product. Mr. Kato was granted an award in the Product category.

Mr. Kato joined Nikkei Inc. in 2018. He works as a web developer in the Strategic Content Group of the Editorial Data Visual Center. He is involved in the creation of "Visual Data," a type of content that pursues novel ways of communicating news. An example of project that he has worked on is the "Global Map of COVID-19 Infections," which shows the global infection status of the novel coronavirus at a glance. He is also in charge of the "Nikkei Chart Builder," which turns data entered by journalists into charts and graphs with simple operations.

In addition, making use of his experience as a voice actor in college, Mr. Kato narrates Nikkei's news commentary videos. He uses digital technology to convey a variety of news topics in a way that is easy to understand, read and listen to.

INMA said of Kato's award, "His work is innovative and forward-looking, and he's perpetually looking for new ways to connect with his audience...He is now using all the tools of digital technology to increase engagement and make news accessible for everyone."

About the INMA and Young Professionals Initiative
The International News Media Association (INMA) has about 19,000 members in over 900 news media companies throughout 76 countries. It has positioned the Young Professionals Initiative as an activity aimed at identifying and working with young leaders.
https://www.inma.org/blogs/main/post.cfm/inma-honours-young-professionals-with-30-under-30-awards