The Daily Star clinches 2nd place at the 88th INMA Global Media Awards

The Daily Star has clinched second place in the "Best Commerce Product or Service" category at the 88th INMA Global Media Awards 2025, a global stage that celebrates the most innovative initiatives in the news media industry.

The award was secured for introducing Keeron, The Daily Star's standalone EdTech business vertical, which has redefined how legacy media can diversify into high-impact digital ventures.

This marks a historic milestone, with The Daily Star being one of just three entries shortlisted from Bangladesh, joining a global lineup of finalists from Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Latin America, North America, and South Asia -- including industry giants such as The New York Times (US), News Corp Australia, and Financial Times (UK).

Launched in September 2023, Keeron was recognised for its transformative impact on professional upskilling of youth -- having registered 60,000+ learners and 25000+ paid users with industry-aligned courses achieving 85 percent learner satisfaction.

The judges at the award ceremony praised The Daily Star's bold move into the EdTech space through a purpose-driven and scalable vertical. They highlighted Keeron's affordability, media-to-EdTech innovation model, and career-centric learning pathways as best-in-class.

The award was received by Md Tajdin Hassan, chief business officer of The Daily Star and chief operating officer of Keeron, alongside Mizanur Rahman, chief financial officer of The Daily Star, on stage at the World Congress of News Media in New York at the Edison Ballroom this Thursday (EDT).

"This global recognition is not just a win for The Daily Star, it's a win for every learner of Keeron who trusted us, our board of directors for their tremendous support, the mentors who shaped our content, and our incredible Keeron team whose passion and resilience made this dream a reality," said Tajdin Hassan.

The 2025 INMA Global Media Awards received 839 entries from 286 news media brands across 49 countries, showcasing the industry's most groundbreaking initiatives. From this highly competitive pool, only 199 finalists were shortlisted, representing the best of global media innovation across 20 award categories in two distinct segments -- national/international and regional.

Today, INMA recognised 60 winners, awarding first, second, and third place in each category, with select exceptions where judges exercised discretion.

Themes at the forefront this year included AI in newsrooms, public good campaigns, truth-telling, youth engagement, and audience-first product strategies.

In the "Best Commerce Product or Service" category, other finalists alongside The Daily Star included media houses from Germany (Funke Digital), Switzerland (Ringier), Kenya (Legit), and Norway (Verdens Gang).