Nai- Supporting Open Media in Afghanistan recognized the achievements of a number of top Afghan journalists in honor of World Press Freedom Day at an awards event in Kabul on May 5, 2013.
The top journalists were awarded in several journalistic areas, namely moderating, news presenting, reporting, blogging, film, and photography. According to Nai, the awardees were selected through open competition.
Nai officials said that the panel of judges evaluated the performance of dozens of nominees to select the winners within their respective areas of expertise.
The panel selected Waris Hasrat, moderator with Ariana Television Network; Weeda Baraki, reporter with Pajhwok News Agency; Ali Akbar Rustami, investigative reporter with Hasht-e-Subh Daily; Sadiq Malyar Azad, feature news reporter with BBC Persian Radio; Murtaza Meraj, Bamdad.af’s editor in chief and blogger of Meraj Weblog; and Ali Fazel, photographer with Rah-e-Farda Television Network.
Also, Nai awarded letters of appreciation to Abdulhaq Omari, reporter with Tolo News in Pakistan and Ali Asghar Yaqoobi, moderator with Mojdah Radio in Herat. Both Omari and Yaqoobi were wounded on duty last year.
A number of political and civil society activists also participated in the ceremony.
Din Mohammad Mobarez Rashedi, deputy minister of culture and information who was present for the awards event, said that
Afghanistan has accomplished great achievements in the area of freedom of the press over the past eleven years.
He emphasized that Afghan government officials, journalists, and citizens should try their best to protect these “great achievements”.
Rashedi asserted the Afghan government has no plan to restrict freedom of the press in future.
“No one can oppose free media. If any of the state’s officials oppose freedom of the press, his or her opposition must be treated as a personal view, not the state’s stance,” emphasized Rashedi.
Sami Mehdi, director of news and current affairs at 1TV disagreed. He said that the state’s support for freedom of speech is more symbolic than real.
“There are a number of Afghan officials who support freedom of speech. But in fact, their support is more individual-oriented or symbolic,” Mehdi said. “A number of state officials who always create troubles for journalists and try to restrict freedom of speech,” he added.
Freedom of speech, particularly freedom of the press, has been described as one of Afghanistan’s most significant achievements gained over the past eleven years with the most rapidly developing media sector in the region.
The top journalists were awarded in several journalistic areas, namely moderating, news presenting, reporting, blogging, film, and photography.
Afghanistan’s free press has been improving year by year. Afghanistan’s rank is 128 in the 2013 Press Freedom Index by Reporters without Borders, whereas in 2011 -2012 it was 150.
Nevertheless, according to Sediqullah Tawhidi, head of Nai, violence against journalists is on the rise. Within the last month, eight incidents of violence against journalists were reported in the provinces of Takhar, Badakhshan, Herat and Farah.
“Violence against journalists has concerned all journalists throughout Afghanistan,” Tawhidi said.
According to Tawhidi, if the Afghan government does not address this challenge seriously, violence against journalists will increase as 2014 – the deadline for international troop withdrawal – approaches.
Journalists say they may face many major challenges after 2014, including increased insecurity, reemergence of the Taliban, increased violence against journalists, and lack of financial resources for media activities.
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Following is the complete list of journalists who were granted awards by Nai:
News Reporting:
Fist Position: Weeda Baraki, Pajhwok News Agency
Second Position: Wali Arayan, Tolo News
Third Position: Wakil Naeebi, Ariana Television Network
Investigative Reporting:
First Position: Akbar Rustami, Hasht-e-Subh Daily
News Features:
Malyar Sadiq Azad: BBC Persian Radio
News Presenting:
First Position: Waris Hasrat, Ariana Television Network
Second Position: Mir Abid Joyanda, Khorshid Television
Third Position: Ehsan Neero, Arezo Television
Photography:
First Position: Ali Fazel, Tamadon Television
Second Position: Ahmad Gul, Freelance Reporter in Nangarhar
Third Position: Aref, Freelance Reporter in Herat
Blogging/Weblog:
First Position: MurtazaMeraj, Meraj Weblog
Second Position: Dawood Naziri, Ayena Weblog
Third Position: Abdulwahed Rafee, Musafer Weblog
Video Reporting:
First Position: Abdul Ali Afghan, Freelance Reporter in Kandahar
Second Position: Hamidullah Karimi, BBC
Third Position: Akbar Omid, Mehr Television
Bamdad – Asar Hakimi
May 06, 2013
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