NTV features reporter Rose Wangui is the winner of the prestigious Knight International Journalism Awards 2019. International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ) in Washington, DC made the announcement on Tuesday night.
It said Ms Wangui often uncovers stories about tough or taboo subjects that no one else dares to touch. With compassion and a strong sense of purpose, she has tackled topics such as sexual bondage of young girls in remote villages, of young Kenyan women who went to work in the Persian Gulf and wound up dead, and of squalid school conditions where children don’t have a desk, a pencil or a chair.
ICFJ added her stories have led to major improvements in the conditions she brings to light. Ms Wangui won the award jointly with Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) regional editor Stevan Dojcinovic.
In addition to his work at OCCRP, Dojcinovic is a founder and editor in chief of the Crime and Corruption Reporting Network (KRIK) in Belgrade, Serbia. He leads a team of journalists who shed light on money laundering schemes by business elites and other abuses by government officials. Dojcinovic has been on the receiving end of threats and vicious personal attacks by government allies due to his journalistic work, but has persevered.
The award honours journalists who, despite difficult circumstances, produce pioneering news reports or innovations that make an impact on the lives of their countries or regions. Recipients include reporters, editors, technologists, media managers or citizen journalists
The two will be feted during the ICFJ’s 35th Anniversary Awards Dinner on November 7 in Washington, DC.
The event, which attracts nearly 600 media luminaries and supporters, recognises journalists whose work has made an outstanding impact on society. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer will serve as master of ceremonies.
CBS news correspondent Elizabeth Palmer will receive the Excellence in International Reporting Award. Palmer has gained recognition for her coverage of the conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq. She has also consistently covered Iran over the past decade, and is one of the few foreign journalists to have visited Iran’s nuclear installations.
Finally, Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron will receive ICFJ’s Founders Award for Excellence in Journalism. He will be honored for his lifetime commitment to the highest journalistic standards, as newsrooms under his leadership have won 16 Pulitzer Prizes.
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