February, 17 2019, 11:00pm EDT
Amnesty International USA to Honor Jamal Khashoggi at Annual Media Awards Ceremony
WASHINGTON
The first Amnesty International USA Press Freedom Award recognizing extraordinary courage and dedication to speaking truth to power through journalism will honor late Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. The award will be presented at the Amnesty International USA Media Awards on April 3.
"Jamal Khashoggi, who disappeared while making preparations for his wedding, had everything to live for. He knew the risks of speaking out against the Saudi government but he continued his work because he believed fervently in speaking out on behalf of those who could not under the kingdom's draconian laws," said Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA. "His critical work and senseless death weighed heavily on us when we set out to revive the Amnesty Media Awards honoring excellence in human rights journalism. It is only right to honor his memory by recognizing him as the inaugural recipient of this award."
The AIUSA Media Awards will honor excellence in reporting on domestic and international human rights issues within the U.S. press, as well as outstanding student reporting. Submissions will be judged by a panel of media professionals. Information on judges and host of this year's awards are forthcoming.
A partial list of judges includes Tracy Wilkinson, correspondent for the Los Angeles Times; Alli Maloney, politics and news features editor for Teen Vogue; Hadar Harris, executive director of the Student Press Law Center; Vibha Venkatesha of AIUSA's National Youth Collective; Franco Ordonez, national affairs correspondent for McClatchy; Daphne Eviatar, director of security with human rights at AIUSA; and Raqiyah Mays, stewardship specialist at AIUSA and journalist. More judges will be announced shortly.
"An informed public is critical to protecting human rights and holding abusers accountable," said Huang. "That's why it is our honor to recognize those whose work has made a difference."
Entries can now be submitted at: media-awards.amnestyusa.org
The closing date for entries is February 22, 2019
Entries must be from a media outlet based in the U.S. and published or broadcast for the first time in the U.S. between January 1 and December 31, 2018.
The award categories are as follows:
Domestic
A written, filmed or audio news report on a current and/or breaking story published in the U.S. media relating to a human rights issue in the United States. This can be print, online, or multimedia.
International
A written, filmed or audio news report on a current and/or breaking story published in U.S. media relating to a human rights issue occurring outside of the United States. This can be print, online, or multimedia.
Student Journalism
For students in full-time education at a U.S. university, college or other institution of higher education at the time of publication or broadcast of their entry. Entries may have been published in print, online or broadcast, either via a student or commercial outlet. Alternatively, it may have been produced as coursework as part of media or journalism studies.
This statement can be found at: https://www.amnestyusa.org/press-releases/amnesty-international-usa-to-honor-jamal-khashoggi-at-annual-media-awards-ceremony
Amnesty International is a global movement of millions of people demanding human rights for all people - no matter who they are or where they are. We are the world's largest grassroots human rights organization.
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