(New York, NY) Almost 500 of the East Coast’s leading news personalities gathered in New York yesterday for the 2013 IWMF Courage in Journalism Awards, a ceremony hosted by Cynthia McFadden (ABC News), and attended by many of the most accomplished women and men in the U.S. news media, including Ann Curry, Norah O’Donnell, George Stephanopoulos, Cindi Leive, Judy Woodruff and Gwen Ifill.
The Award that honors women journalists for their courageous reporting were presented to Najiba Ayubi, a media director from Afghanistan, Nour Kelze, a photojournalist from Syria, and Bopha Phorn, an editor from Cambodia.
“Almost half the world’s population lives in countries where there is no press freedom… places where simply calling yourself a journalist can be life-threatening”, said Cynthia McFadden in her welcoming remarks. “Year after year, we find ourselves using the same words to describe what these women endure simply for doing their jobs: threatened, jailed, exiled, kidnapped, raped, shot, killed”, she continued.
In her acceptance speech, Najiba Ayubi dedicated her award to all journalists in Afghanistan who are working in very difficult situations, reporting on corruption, drug trafficking, transitional justice and the illegal appropriation of public land. “Journalism is not my job, it is my life”, she explained.
“The world doesn’t pay enough attention to Cambodia.” Bopha Phorn told the audience. “That is the reason that I have to keep writing; showing everyone what is happing on my side of the world, so that people can understand our country’s problems and work together to solve them.”
Syrian photojournalist Nour Kelze, who could not travel to New York to accept her Award in person, told the audience in a letter: “This award is for Syria – for standing strong still after all the hardships since the past till the present day and even in the future.”
The 2013 IWMF Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Edna Machirori, the first black female editor in the Zimbabwean media and a true trailblazer who paved the way for other women in her country to become journalists.
The 2013 Courage in Journalism Awards in New York have been made possible through the generous support of Bank of America.
Najiba Ayubi, Edna Machirori and Bopha Phorn will be available for interviews in New York (October 25) and Los Angeles (October 27-31). Event and awardee photos are available for download at iwmf.org/press. For interviews and additional information, contact Anna Schiller, aschiller@iwmf.org, 202 603 0008, visit iwmf.org/courage, and follow #IWMFcourage on Twitter (@IWMF).
Founded in 1990 by a group of prominent U.S. women journalists, the International Women’s Media Foundation is a Washington-based organization that is dedicated to strengthening the role of women journalists worldwide. The IWMF believes the news media worldwide are not truly free and representative without the equal voice of women. The IWMF celebrates the courage of women journalists who overcome threats and oppression to speak out on global issues. The IWMF’s programs empower women journalists with the training, support and network to become leaders in the news industry.
