Amnesty International UK Media Awards 1998

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The 7th annual Amnesty International UK Media Awards took place on 25 June at the Park Lane Hotel, London. The awards ceremony was hosted by Melvyn Bragg.[ citation needed ]

David Bull [1] said at the awards;

Despite 1998 being the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights there has been no shortage of important human rights abuse stories in the last year. High-profile issues such as the massacres in Algeria and the situation in Indonesia have received significant coverage but there have also been less well-publicised abuses that still cry out for international scrutiny. [2]

In total there were 7 awards, including the introduction of the Special Award for Human Rights Journalism Under Threat. The other award categories were National Print, Periodicals, Photojournalism, Radio, Television Documentary and Television News. For eligibility, the entries had to be published or transmitted between 16 April 1997 and 30 April 1998. [3] [4]

The overall winner was Robert Fisk for a series of articles on Algeria published in The Independent. [2]

The Special Award for Human Rights Journalism Under Threat was made to Nosa Igiebor and the staff of Tell magazine, Nigeria.

The judges[ citation needed ] for all categories were Nicky Campbell, Mark Lattimer, [lower-alpha 1] Penny Smith, Polly Toynbee and Kirsty Young.

Shortlist and Awards 1998

1998
CategoryTitleOrganisationJournalistsRefs
National Print
'A Holy Betrayal' The Guardian Maggie O'Kane [5]

A series of articles on Algeria
Overall Winner
The Independent Robert Fisk [6] [7]
[8] [9]
[10] [11]
[12] [13]
[14]
'Face To Face with Bosnia's Doctor Death'
& 'Net Finally Closes Around War Criminals'
The Observer Ed Vulliamy [15] [16]
'Surviving Algeria' The Observer John Sweeney [17]

Periodicals
'Afghanistan Diary: My Escape from the Taliban' Marie Claire Breshna Baktash

'A Ghost of a Chance: A Survey of the Balkans' The Economist Brooke Unger [18]

"Tibet: Where Having Children is a Crime" Marie Claire Vittoria DAlessio [19] [20]
Photojournalism
'Bosnian Refugee Returning Home'Howard Davies

[21] [22]

"Lord of the Flies -
The Mental Landscape of War"
Stuart Freedman [23]

'The Unavenged'Jenny Matthews

Radio
Special Assignment: AlgeriaBBC Radio 5 John Sweeney, produced by Vera Frankl and Anna Parkinson, edited by Gwyneth Williams

'Face The Facts',BBC Radio 4 John Waite, produced by Susan Mitchell, edited by Graham Ellis

"Escape from Chechnya"Series, "Out of the Fire"
BBC Radio South
Marc Jobst
John Simpson


Special Award for
Human Rights Journalism
Under Threat

Presented to Nosa Igiebor and the staff of Tell Magazine.
Launched in 1991, Tell reports on economic and political events and the struggle for democracy and human rights in Nigeria. Tell has continued to publish throughout the period of Nigerian dictatorship despite intimidation, harassment and the detention without charge or trial of Mr Igiebor and other senior members of the Tell staff.
[24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33]
Television
Documentary
'Getting Away with Murder'Correspondent Special
BBC TV
Michael Ignatieff, Fiona Murch, Giselle Portenier [34] [35]
[36]
'Making a Killing' &
'Profit Before Principle'
Granada Television:
World In Action
Martyn Gregory Films [37] [38]
"The Grave"Channel 4 Television:
True Stories
Produced by Soul Purpose Productions [39]
Television
News
report on AlgeriaBBC TV NewsFergal Keane

[40] [41]

reports on Muslim refugees in BosniaBBC TV News David Loyn

Report on the Xinjiang province in ChinaDirect TV for ITN Channel Four News Gaby Rado [42] [43]

See also

Notes

  1. At the time of the 1998 Awards, Mark Lattimer was Communications Director for Amnesty International UK

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