Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Courageous journalism showcased as shortlist for Young Journalist Award 2024 announced

23/09/2024

Reporting from a female journalist who is working in secret due to Taliban restrictions in Afghanistan, hard hitting reports on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and stories exposing human rights violations in Yemen and India, are among the 12 entries by journalists shortlisted for the Thomson Foundation Young Journalist Award 2024.

The Afghan reporter, who needs to remain anonymous to protect her safety, writes for The Afghan Times which was founded by Afghan women journalists in exile. She joins 11 other brave and talented journalists in this year's shortlist, some of whom are also going to great lengths to tell important stories.

It was exceptionally difficult to whittle down what was an impressive array of fearless and brave journalism.

Amardeep Bassey, investigative journalist

As well as Afghanistan, this year's top 12 entrants for the prestigious award are from Ukraine, India, Nigeria, Yemen, Ghana and Pakistan. They were chosen from almost 300 entries.

It was exceptionally difficult to whittle down what was an impressive array of fearless and brave journalism, says investigative journalist Amardeep Bassey, who joined the judging panel this year.

Amardeep, who is also a senior lecturer in the Investigative Journalism MA course at De Montfort University in Leicester, UK, says all of them are winners' in his eyes.

The 2024 Top 12 On hearing she's made the shortlist, the reporter from Afghanistan called it an honour, and a reminder of the strength of Afghan women'.

This recognition fuels my commitment to give voice to those whose stories are being erased, she says. Living in a country where the Taliban restrictions on women's freedom extends to a ban on them speaking in public, her work exposes the reality of life for women and girls such as this story on the lack of access to toilets and sanitary products after the country was hit by severe flooding.

The war in Ukraine also features heavily in this year's competition. Oksana Savoskina's film, broadcast by the independent media company Hromadske, captures the terror and chaos as hundreds of people try to evacuate a city which is under Russian bombardment. Oksana is joined in the top 12 by another Ukrainian journalist, Anastasiia Ivantsiv from Suspilne News who gained access to a psychiatric ward in Kyiv to tell the story of the soldiers being treated there.

Rarely heard voices recounting their harrowing experiences also feature in the top 12 shortlist. In Yemen, Hashed Alshebli tells the horrific story for the independent online platform Khuyut of an eight-year-old girl who was married to a 45-year-old man. The child has since been rescued.

Qosim Suleiman of the Premium Times goes to northern Nigeria to speak to people living in rural communities where bandits are attacking health facilities and workers and creating medical deserts'.

In India, freelance journalist Sarah Aziz exposes the extent of custodial rape of women in prisons in West Bengal in a report in The Guardian while freelance journalist Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman from Ghana, presents a radio report for The World in which he talks to LGBTQ people struggling to access health care in Malawi and the ongoing conflict in the Indian state of Manipur is retold through the eyes of a 17-year-old girl who's living through it in a documentary made by Jyoti Jangra for Newsreel Asia.

Uncovering worker exploitation is another theme with Ayomikunle Daramola going undercover in a plastics factory in Nigeria to expose the horrendous conditions, for his report in The Cable. In Pakistan, Aisha Farrukh of the digital news platform The Centrum, tells the stories of brick kiln workers who are bonded labourers, a practice human rights activists have called modern day slavery.

Indian freelance journalist Srishti Jaswal who spent more than six months tracking messaging activity in WhatsApp groups in a remote Indian town, uncovered an extensive political campaign operation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP party free from public scrutiny. Her report published by Rest of World was in collaboration with the Pulitzer Center's AI Accountability Network and Princeton University's Digital Witness Lab. Another detailed story which took more than a year to research was a creative data-driven investigation into enforced disappearances in Balochistan by freelancer Somaiyah Hafeez for Kontinentalist.

The final judging The three finalists for the award will be chosen from the shortlist of 12. This year's judging panel are Enrique Rubio, London Bureau Chief, Agencia EFE (Spanish news agency), Simon Bradley, Broadcast camera journalist, Nippon TV and Antonella Zangaro from Il Giornale, Italy.

The winner will be announced at the Foreign Press Association Awards in London, UK on November 25, 2024.

The Young Journalist Award The annual award, now in its twelfth year and held in partnership with the UK Foreign Press Association (FPA), is open to journalists aged 30 and under from countries with a Gross National Income (GNI) per capital of less than USD 20,000.

-- Explore our projects across the globe
LINK: http://www.thomsonfoundation.org/latest/courageous-journalism-showcase...
See more stories from thompsonfoundation

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

07/10/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Media Operations from Ingest to Distribution

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...

06/09/2026

Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Germany with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...

19/08/2026

Imagine Communications Steve Reynolds on Kaseya Centers Hybrid IP Build and the Growth of ST 2110

As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...

19/08/2026

European Athletics Championships 2026: BBC, Event Organizers Bring Birmingham Action to Viewers in Style

A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...

19/08/2026

Filipiana Sets the Class Divide on a Golf Course in the Philippines

(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...

19/08/2026

MPG launch Save Our Studios survey

Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...

19/08/2026

Harrison unveil the Flex-10

Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...

19/08/2026

Minimal Audio release Lucid

Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...

19/08/2026

Audio Modeling open PolySWAM pre-orders

First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...

19/08/2026

FOX and NBCUniversal Score with FIFA World Cup 2026 Success in Nielsen's June Gauge Reports

World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...

19/08/2026

The Gauge: Poland | July 2026

July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...

19/08/2026

Carr Calls ABC Suit 'Meritless

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

Henry Alexander Joins BCE as Sales Director

Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...

19/08/2026

iWedia Announces Advanced Android DRAM Optimisation Proce...

iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...

19/08/2026

NTP Technology announces ST 2110-30-RAVENNA 128-channel A...

NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...

19/08/2026

ORF goes full IP with Net Insight in nationwide network o...

Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...

19/08/2026

Coventry City Trophy Parade Extends LiveU LIQ Beyond the...

LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...

19/08/2026

Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF

Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF Brie Clayton August 18, 2026 0 Comments Filming endangered turtles required camera...

19/08/2026

Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control Basic

Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...

19/08/2026

ABC Files First Amendment Lawsuit Against FCC

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

Nielsen: Fox and NBCUniversal Score with FIFA World Cup 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

ESPN Co-Founder Bill Rasmussen Dies At 93

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

Study: NBA Ad Revenue Hit $2.1 Billion Last Season

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

Nexstar's WNCN Donates ENG Van for Training

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

Riedel Brings Professional Live Production Into the Class...

Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...

19/08/2026

QuickLink Showcases New 4K Capabilities Across StudioEdge...

QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...

19/08/2026

EMAM together with PlayBox Neo and SNEWS launch combined...

Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...

19/08/2026

Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen industry financing pathways

Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...

19/08/2026

Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdre Brennan

Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...

19/08/2026

U&alibi re-commissions Bookish for Christmas Special and Series 3

There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...

19/08/2026

Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple live sports events simultaneously on the big screen for the first time

Wednesday 19 August 2026 Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...

19/08/2026

RT TO AIR HISTORIC KATIE TAYLOR FIGHT IN CROKE PARK

On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...

18/08/2026

SportStream 2026 Virtual Event Set for September 15-17

SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...

18/08/2026

IBC 2026: BeckTV to Debut BeckFlow Documentation Platform

BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53). BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...

18/08/2026

IBC 2026: Boland Communications to Introduce ST 2110 Option for 4K Monitors

Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...

18/08/2026

Seattle Seahawks Integrate Dolby OptiView with Dolby Vision for Fan Streaming

Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...

18/08/2026

Insights from BMG's Graham Taylor on the Role of a Sports Producer in Live Broadcast Production

For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...

18/08/2026

TMRW Sports Names Rufus Hack as President of Golf

TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...

18/08/2026

SMT To Deliver Race Technology for Freedom 250 IndyCar Broadcast

SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...

18/08/2026

HMA's Creator Collective Pairs Digital Creators, Beat Writers in New Model for Local-Sports Coverage

The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...

18/08/2026

Behind The Mic: FOX Sports Shares Broadcast Lineup for 2026 NFL Season and College Football Season

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...

18/08/2026

Miami Heats Ed Filomia on Rebuilding Kaseya Centers Video Infrastructure and 29 Years With the Heat

The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...

18/08/2026

Bill Rasmussen, ESPN Founder and Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer, Dies at 93

William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...

18/08/2026

DAZN Completes Acquisition of ViewLift

DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...

18/08/2026

American Association of Professional Baseball Adds SI TV as Broadcast Partner

The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...

18/08/2026

Esports Foundation Postpones Inaugural Esports Nations Cup to November 2027

The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...

18/08/2026

Diversified Launches Global Managed Services Practice

Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...

18/08/2026

Appear Completes REMI Proof of Concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions

Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...