Online Journalism News

Online journalist wins Amnesty human rights award

Amnesty International has presented its special award for Human Rights Journalism Under Threat to Dina Meza - an investigative journalist who works for monthly e-magazine Revistazo.com in Honduras.

At its annual awards ceremony earlier tonight, Dina Mesa was given the award for continuing to work in danger as a result of her human rights journalism.

(Click here to listen to an interview with Dina)

Ms Meza and her team of journalists have been subjected to a campaign of death threats, physical harassment, legal action and defamation after investigating and implicating several private security firms in labour violations and human rights abuses.

Veteran BBC broadcaster Kate Adie hosted the 16th annual Amnesty International UK Media Awards, held at London's Café Royal this evening.

Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said: "These awards are an important means of recognising the invaluable work of journalists who expose injustice and help to defend human rights around the world.

"This year we are delighted to be able to present an award to Alan Johnston on the very day that the marvellous news of his release travelled the world.

"Tonight we at Amnesty salute the work that journalist do, often at great personal risk. Alan Johnston is free but others remain at risk - we should continue to defend their rights as reporters and that’s precisely what our awards seek to do."

Others awards went to Alan Johnston, BBC Gaza Bureau, for his dispatches from Gaza, Lucy Adams for Haunted, featured in the Herald Magazine, Congo's Tragedy which ran in The Independent and was written by Johann Hari. The Big Steal from Guardian Weekend Magazine won an award for Jonathan Watts.

The photojournalism prize was won for Acid attacks in Bangladesh, Foto 8 Magazine by Andrew Testa.

The television documentary and docudrama was won by Execution of a Teenage Girl, BBC / Wild Pictures - Paul Hamann, Monica Garnsey, Lucy Hetherington.

The television news prize was won for China Organ Transplants, BBC Ten O’Clock News - Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, Bessie Du, Al Go.

Tags (click tag to find related articles; click icon for feed):
events | awards |

Sign up here for our free, daily email newsletter to get all the latest stories, jobs, tips and more.

Got a story? Email our news team: Laura Oliver; Judith Townend or telephone +44 (0)1273 384290. You can also follow us on Twitter: @journalismnews / @LauraOliver / @JTownend.