11th Annual Media Awards: Winners Announced
Held at BAFTA in London on the evening of Thursday 27 June, the awards ceremony was hosted by Radio 4's Nick Clarke. Those presenting awards included journalist Fergal Keane, and Marie O'Hagan, the widow of murdered journalist, Martin O'Hagan.
Amnesty International UK Communications Director Richard Bunting said:
'Journalists play a crucial role in exposing human rights abuses and putting a human face to what otherwise can be dismissed as a distant tragedy. These awards recognise the fact that the media's role is often difficult but can be enormously powerful in changing the actions and even policies of the perpetrators of human rights abuses.'
The 2002 winners are:
UK MEDIA
National Newspapers: 10-year-old Qwadrat takes his final painful breath, Anton Antonowicz, Daily Mirror
TV News: Slobodan Milosevic War Crimes Trial, Gaby Rado for ITN - Channel 4 News
Periodicals: The school of assassins that the US army has tried to hide, Christine Toomey, The Sunday Times Magazine
Radio: Israel/Palestine, Lucy Ash for Crossing Continents, BBC Radio 4
Photojournalism: War crimes in Kosovo, Gary Knight, Newsweek International TV Documentaries: Kids behind bars, True Vision Productions for the BBC (produced by Kate Blewett and Brian Woods)
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Global Award for Human Rights Journalism A Gaza Diary, Scenes from the Palestinian uprising, Chris Hedges, Harper's, USA. This award, established in 1999, recognises the contribution of human rights journalism anywhere around the world.
Special Award for Human Rights Journalism Under Threat
Milkias Mihretab, founding editor of Keste Debena, Eritrea. He is president of an unofficial independent journalists' association in Eritrea, a lawyer and former magistrate. Milkias Mihretab received the award in recognition the great risk that he took in criticising the Eritrean government. As a result his life was put in danger and he is now seeking asylum in the US.
The awards were judged by a distinguished panel consisting of:
- Dr. Zaki Badawi: Chair, Muslim College
- Rosie Boycott: Broadcaster, journalist and commentator
- Richard Bunting: Director of Communications, Amnesty International
- Stanley Cohen: Writer and Professor of Sociology at the LSE
- Mariella Frostrup: Journalist, columnist and presenter
- Roger Graef: Documentary filmmaker
- Roy Greenslade: Journalist and media commentator
- Bonnie Greer: Playwright and novelist
- Geeta Guru-Murthy: BBC News correspondent
- Krishnan Guru-Murthy: Broadcaster and presenter of Channel 4 News
- Noreena Hertz: Author and academic
- Paul Hoffman: Human Rights attorney and member of Amnesty International's International Executive Committee
- Colin Jacobson: Photo editor and lecturer
- Bianca Jagger: Human rights campaigner
- Andy Kershaw: Journalist, broadcaster and DJ
- Allan Little: Journalist, broadcaster and presenter of BBC Radio 4's Today Programme
- Mary McCartney Donald: Photographer
- Jonathan Power: Columnist, filmmaker and writer
- Andrew Puddephatt: Chief Executive of Article 19
- Sir Nigel Rodley: Former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and Professor of the Department of Law and the Human Rights Centre of Essex University
- Kate Sanderson: Presenter and BBC reporter
- Mark Sealy: Director of Autograph
- Najam Sethi: Editor of Pakistan's 'Friday Times' and recipient of the 1999 Amnesty International Special Award for Human Rights Journalism Under Threat
- Zwelakhe Sisulu: South African journalist and editor
- Ahdaf Soueif: Egyptian novelist and journalist
- Francine Stock: Broadcaster and writer
- Mark Thomas: Comedian and columnist
- Natasha Walter: Writer and columnist
- Charles Wheeler: Journalist and broadcaster
- Paul Wombell: Director, Photographer's Gallery
Please see the Amnesty International UK website www.amnesty.org.uk/news/awards/ for shortlist and other information.