KUALA LUMPUR: A columnist for independent Malaysian news platform Twentytwo13 has received international recognition for one of her opinion pieces, earning an Award of Distinction in the Feature category at the 32nd Annual Communicator Awards.
Public relations practitioner Eliza Mohamed (image), who is also a regular columnist with Twentytwo13, received the award for her article, “Why we must teach empathy, not toughness, to the next generation”, which was published on this website on Oct 16, 2025.
In her article, Eliza, who is the executive director of FineTouch Synergy, examined how communication, guidance and emotional awareness shape the way young people navigate an increasingly complex and visible world.
“This was a piece written in response to a moment many of us were trying to make sense of,” said Eliza.
“If anything, the article reinforces that how we communicate, especially in moments that matter, has a lasting impact.
“I’m grateful for this unexpected victory. I would like to thank Twentytwo13 for giving me a platform to express myself,” added Eliza, who is a lawyer by training but now specialises in crisis communications, public affairs, leadership development and human-centric storytelling.
Eliza is one of many distinguished columnists on Twentytwo13’s platform, which includes several academicians and senior lawyers.
The Communicator Awards is an international programme based in New York and organised by the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts (AIVA).
This year’s awards received thousands of entries from across the United States and around the world, making it one of the largest and most competitive programmes in the field.
Winners included organisations such as The Walt Disney Company, PepsiCo, PwC, Marriott International and Lenovo.
Entries are evaluated by AIVA, an assembly of more than 1,000 industry professionals from organisations including Accenture, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, FedEx, Netflix and National Geographic Society.
The Communicator Awards recognises excellence, effectiveness and innovation across all areas of communication, providing a global platform for companies, organisations and independent creators.
