New journalists encouraged to apply for prestigious Gaby Rado human rights award

• Free entry for freelancers 
• Previous Gaby Rado Award winners include Aleem Maqbool, Nick Paton-Walsh, Xan Rice and Jack Shenker

‘To win an award in Gaby Rado’s name meant a great deal to me, not just for professional reasons but also because it helped encourage me to explore and produce the type of journalism that I find most powerful, both emotionally and politically.’ – Jack Shenker. 

With just six weeks left to enter its prestigious Media Awards this year, Amnesty International is encouraging editors to select their most talented new reporters and freelancers to apply directly to win the Gaby Rado Award for Best New Journalist. 

The Gaby Rado Award for Best New Journalist invites all journalists who began working as a journalist or photojournalist in the last five years.  The award was established with the help of the family, friends and colleagues of the prominent and highly-respected journalist Gaby Rado, who tragically died in Iraq in 2003.   

Previous winners of the Gaby Rado Award include some of the UK’s most respected journalists, correspondents and editors, such as Nick Paton-Walsh, Xan Rice, Aleem Maqbool, Jamal Osman and Jack Shenker. 

Jack Shenker won the Gaby Rado Award for his reporting on the unrest in Egypt for The Guardian in 2011.  Recalling how he felt about winning the Award, Jack told Amnesty:

“Gaby Rado was a remarkable correspondent who strove to report - with great humanity - on communities, struggles and spaces that didn't always dominate the headlines and were in danger of being left in the shadows. 

 

“To win an award in his name meant a great deal to me, not just for professional reasons but also because it helped encourage me to explore and produce the type of journalism that I find most powerful, both emotionally and politically.” 

Now Features Editor of the New Statesman, Xan Rice, recipient of the Gaby Rado Award in 2008, secured the Amnesty trophy for his reports in The Guardian on the secret renditions occurring in east Africa and post-election violence in Kenya.  

Xan Rice said:  "Coming from an organisation such as Amnesty, it meant a great deal to me, and gave me the confidence to tackle even more ambitious projects.”

This year’s illustrious judging panel for the Gaby Rado Award includes Channel 4 News presenter Cathy Newman, Editor of the i Oliver Duff, BBC Radio 4 reporter Zubeida Malik, and the niece of Gaby Rado, Natalie Watson.  Natalie told Amnesty why she admired Gaby Rado’s reporting:

"Gaby was a rare gem, a one of a kind. Having fled from Hungary in the 60s as a child refugee with my grandparents and mother, it only elevated his compassion and empathy for the many atrocities happening around the world. He wanted to find and report the truth. Gaby commentated without bravado, just saw it as 'doing his job'. 

 

As a child I remember him telling me about the beauty of these countries, never understanding at that age the peril he put himself in on a constant basis. Being a judge for this award fills me with pride. He was and always will be the most inspirational person I ever knew."

Amnesty International’s Communications Director Kerry Moscogiuri said:

“The Gaby Rado Award is particularly special to Amnesty as it encourages editors to continue to make human rights reporting an essential element of their output, and for the next generation of reporters, photojournalists, and broadcasters to keep human rights reporting high on their agendas.

 

“Journalists, including Marie Colvin, Tim Hetherington, and Terry Lloyd gave their lives to bring the world’s human rights abuses to the attention of the British public.  In Gaby Rado’s name, we will continue to celebrate new journalists who carry on this tradition of brave reporting.”

Background information

• Amnesty has established a sponsorship fund to enable a limited number of freelance journalists and filmmakers as well as smaller outlets to enter free of charge. 
• Closing deadline for entry is 1st August. 
• Amnesty celebrates the 25th year of its prestigious Media Awards this year, and its awards ceremony will take place on 29th November in central London. 
• For more information, visit www.amnesty-media-awards.org.uk