New Delhi:  Mathrubhumi sub-editor Shabitha MK, has been conferred with the Ramnath Goenka Award for excellence in journalism. The award, which includes a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, a citation, and a plaque, was presented at an event held in Delhi on Tuesday. This marks Shabitha's second consecutive Ramnath Goenka Award. The award was presented by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

Shabitha received the award in the category of investigative reporting in regional language (Malayalam) for her series titled ‘Akathanu Amma’. The series was published in Mathrubhumi Newspaper from August 25 to 30, 2021.

The series delved extensively into the lives, crimes, nature, and backgrounds of female prisoners in three women's jails in Kerala, garnering commendable responses. Following the series, an organization in Ernakulam studied the conditions of female prisoners' cases and stepped forward to provide free legal aid to deserving candidates, marking a significant impact of Shabitha's work.