International Media Awards
The International Media Awards are annual awards, presented in London, to celebrate high standards of Middle East journalism.
The awards are presented at a ceremony held each year by the International Council for Press and Broadcasting, a subsidiary body of the Next Century Foundation. The awards honour editors and journalists, in recognition of the vital role that the media can play in fostering understanding, the essential pre-requisite of any peace process. They were last held in 2017, but have not been held in the three consecutive years following that, allegedly because of funding issues. However, there is talk of them being held in a virtual form in 2020 in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
William Morris, Secretary-General of the Next Century Foundation explains:
"By publicly recognising the efforts of these editors and journalists, some of whom have put their careers and even their lives at risk through their commitment to reporting truthfully and responsibly, we hope to help raise the standards of journalism in reporting on the Arab Israeli conflict"
The awards are divided into several categories:
- The Peace through Media prizes are for senior journalists, who have contributed to better understanding throughout their careers, and comprise the symbolic gift of an olive tree.
- The Cutting Edge prizes are for journalists recognised for their high standards of analysis and reporting, often in conflict situations, and take the form of a cash donation.
- The Breakaway prize is for young journalists, who have already begun to make an impact at the beginning of their careers.
The 2017 awards
The Peace Through Media Award
- :it:Fabio Scuto|Fabio Scuto is an Italian journalist, writing most recently for La Repubblica as their Jerusalem correspondent, and has been Italy's preeminent war correspondent during all the major crises in the MENA region.
- Imad Karam is an award-winning Gazan documentary film maker, his films focus on forgiveness, peace-building and reconciliation, for example in his profound documentary called 'Beyond Forgiving'.
- Rogel Alpher is a columnist and Op-Ed writer at Haaretz, where he is regarded as being one of the most critical and controversial voices in Israel.
- Geoffrey Lean is Britain's longest serving environmental correspondent, and has been a pioneer of green journalism for over 40 years, long before it became a part of mainstream media coverage. Lean formerly wrote a regular half-page column for the Daily Telegraph, and contributed to a variety of newspapers including the Observer and the Independent.
- Adel Darwish is a Westminster-based British political journalist, a veteran Fleet Street reporter, author, historian, broadcaster, and political commentator.
- Iona Craig is a British-Irish freelance journalist, dedicated to uncovering the Yemeni crisis. Her work has appeared in The Times, Foreign Policy, Al Jazeera America, USA Today and Time, amongst others.
- Ohad Hemo is the Correspondent for Palestinian affairs on Channel 2, the biggest TV channel in Israel. Hemo has covered three Gaza Wars, the rise of Hamas, and the implementation of the Disengagement Plan.
- Gareth Browne is one of the youngest journalists in Britain, currently working in Iraq. Having written for the Daily Mirror, VICE News and Gulf News, he is now a stringer for The Times.
- Jack Merlin Watling is an investigative journalist. He is a former planning editor at NewsFixed, where he coordinated a network of seven hundred journalists operating across the Middle East. Watling has written for Reuters, The Guardian, VICE, Foreign Policy and New Statesman.
- Christine Garabedian is a documentary filmmaker based in London. She is a Producer-Director with 15 years of experience working on high-end factual programmes. Garabedian has done work for the BBC, Channel 4, Discovery, Al-Arabiya, Al Jazeera and Oxford Film and Television.
- Nomak Khoshnaw is a freelance producer at the BBC. He has worked as a journalist for Kurdistan TV and in this capacity, he was able to make numerous compelling documentaries that uncovered the plight of the Yazidi and Kurdish people living under Islamic State rule.
- Lyse Doucet OBE is the Chief International Correspondent at the BBC. She is a presenter and a correspondent for both the BBC World Service radio and BBC World News television. She has played a key role in BBC coverage of the Arab Spring, reporting from Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Syria.
The 2013 awards
- Pat Lancaster is the editor of Middle East Magazine.
- Igal Sarna is a columnist for mass circulation daily Yediot Ahronoth.
- Wael Dahdouh is the Al-Jazeera correspondent in Gaza.
- Don McCullin is an internationally known British photojournalist, particularly recognized for his war photography and images of urban strife.
- Benjamin Pogrund is a South African born in the anti-apartheid movement who immigrated to Israel.
- Lina Sinjab is a journalist for the BBC and has been the Damascus correspondent since 2008.
- Nabila Ramdani is a French freelance journalist of Algerian descent, currently based in London.
- Rachel Shabi is a journalist who has written extensively on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Middle East.
- Mahmoud Al Yousif is known to many as the ‘Blogfather’ and is considered to be the "father of Bahraini bloggers".
- George Butler is a British war artist observing the situation in Syria on the ground.
- Rania Alattar is an Iraqi journalist for the BBC Arabic service.
The 2012 awards
The Peace through Media Award
- Jeremy Bowen is the Middle East Editor for the BBC
- Gideon Levy is a journalist and editor for the Haaretz newspaper
- Mansoor Al-Jamri is the editor of Al Wasat newspaper
- Paul Wood is a Middle East correspondent for the BBC
- Roger Cohen is a columnist for the International Herald Tribune and The New York Times
- Sherine Tadros is an Al Jazeera reporter
- Hiwa Osman is a writer for the Thoughts from Iraq blog and a columnist for English Language Kurdish newspaper Rudaw
- Dame Ann Leslie is a journalist for The Daily Mail newspaper
- Hillel Schenker and Ziad Abuzayyad are co-editors of the Palestine-Israel Journal
The 2011 awards
The seventh International Media Awards ceremony was held at a gala night in central London on Saturday 9 April 2011.Outstanding Contribution to Peace Award
- Linda Menhuin is a founding member of the Society for Peace with Syria and an advisory board member of the Smart Middle East Forum
- Daoud Quttab is founder/general director of AmmanNet and director of the Institute of Modern Media at Al Quds University
- Dov Alfon is Editor in Chief at Ha’aretz
- Jacky Rowland is a field correspondent for Al Jazeera English
- Falah Al Thahabi is an Iraqi journalist and the current managing director at Alhurra TV
- Dilawar Khan Wazir is the BBC Urdu Service Correspondent for the tribal areas and Waziristan
- Nada Abdel Samed is a Beirut-based broadcaster for BBC Arabic
- Ayman Mohyeldin is a correspondent for Al Jazeera
- Adel Zanoon works for AFP & ANN, Gaza
- Alice Fordham is a Baghdad-based freelance journalist working for The Times, Christian Science Monitor and as a correspondent for The Economist
- Feras Kilani is a journalist for BBC Arabic
- Goktay Koraltan is a cameraman for BBC Arabic
- Chris Cobb Smith is a production co-ordinator for BBC Arabic
The 2010 awards
The sixth International Media Awards ceremony was held at a gala night in central London on Saturday 8 May 2010.Outstanding Contribution to Peace Award
- Mossi Raz & Maysa Siniora joint Israeli and Palestinian winners for All For Peace Radio, a joint Israeli-Arab radio station.
- Ian Black Middle East Editor of The Guardian
- Samia Nakhoul, Reuters Middle East Editor
- Akiva Eldar, Chief Political Columnist for Haaretz
- Patrick Cockburn, Foreign Correspondent The Independent and contributor to London Review of Books.
- Ben Wedeman is CNN’s Senior International Correspondent based in Cairo.
- Itai Anghel, senior correspondent for the weekly current affairs program "UVDA" on Israel’s Channel 2 television
- Moeen Al Hilou, Gaza Producer for Israel's Channel 10 TV, as well as being a director for the Hebrew News Department at Palestine TV
- Ranj Alaaldin, Middle East political and security risk analyst based at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He contributes to The Guardian and various other print and online publications.
- Benny Ziffer, literary editor of Haaretz since 1987. More recently his blogs "Lo BeBeit Sifrenu" and "Dressed to Provoke" have risen to prominence in the Hebrew blogosphere.
- Jim Muir, BBC Middle East Correspondent. Having begun his involvement with the region in Beirut in 1975, he is now based there again, focusing on issues both within Lebanon and in the wider Middle East, traveling regularly to cover Iraq.
The 2009 awards
The Peace Through Media Awards
- Dr Badrakan Al-Sindi, Editor in chief Al-Ta’akhi Newspaper.
- Mark Urban, Diplomatic Editor, Newsnight, BBC.
- Mick Fealty, Editor and writer of Slugger O’Toole Blog.
- Paul Staines, aka blogger Guido Fawkes.
- Khaled Kishtainy, Iraqi journalist of Sharq Al Awsat newspaper.
- Kamran Karadaghi, Iraqi journalist of Al Hayat newspaper.
- Oren Yakobovich, Israel's B'Tselem's "Shooting Back" Programme.
- Shlomo Eldar, Channel 10 Israel whose live broadcast many believe contributed to the end of Israel's recent Gaza campaign.
- Faisal J. Abbas, a journalist of Sharq al Awsat and blogger for The Huffington Post. He was the first Saudi Arabian to win this award, this has generated much in the Arab media.
- Jaafar al-Ahmar, Lebanese journalist of Al Hayat.
Two Breakaway Awards for most promising new talent.
- Abdulrahman Abdulla, Al Sharqiya Satellite TV.
- Potkin Azarmehr, blogger for a secular democratic Iran.
The 2008 awards
The Peace Through Media Awards
- Yehuda Litani, Editor, Al Usbua, Channel 2 Israel and Columnist, Yedioth Aharanoth and Haaretz, the prize was presented by Ian Black, Middle East Editor, The Guardian.
- Roula Khalaf, The Financial Times. In recognition of her high standards of reporting and the quality of her news analysis. Prize presented by Ms Annie Henshaw, Director of Olives et al.
- Bernard Josephs, Political Editor, The Jewish Chronicle. In recognition of his efforts to improve understanding of the Middle East as well as his work against disinformation and incitement to hatred. Prize presented by Rabbi Herschel Gluck.
- Damien Charton, France 24, for reporting during fighting in Gaza in 2007. Prize presented by William Morris, Secretary General The Next Century Foundation.
- Zeina Fayadh, Program editor and Presenter, ANB Satellite Television. Prize presented by Ibtisam Auchi
- Adel Darwish, columnist, Daily Mail; TV commentator. Prize presented by Louisa Brooke, BBC
- Robert Tait, Iran Correspondent, The Observer. Prize presented by David Gardner, Financial Times.
Breakaway Award
- Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi, Arab Media Watch, Prize presented by Jihad Al Khazan Editor at large of Al Hayatt Newspaper.
- Wijdan Mahdi Ali Alsalih, columnist in Friendship magazine; freelance journalist based in Basrah.
- Mr Sami Abdul Shafi, Gaza Correspondent, The Independent and The Guardian.
- Saif Al-Khayat, Correspondent, Elaph, Baghdad.
The 2007 awards
The International Media Council Prize:
- David Gardner - The Financial Times proposed by Abigail Fielding-Smith of IB Tauris Books
- Rafik Halabi - Channel 2
- Michael Binyon - The Times
- Sami Abdul Shafi - The Independent
- Jack Hugi - Maariv, Israel
- Louisa Brooke, Senior world affairs analyst, BBC, proposed by Mike Wooldridge of the BBC
- Hassan Soussi, Arab News Network Satellite TV proposed by Ribal al Assad, Syria
The 2006 awards
The Main International Media Council Prize:
- Jihad al Khazen, Editor at Large, Al Hayat, for his significant contributions to informed and enlightened debate in the Arab media throughout a long and distinguished career.
- Danny Levi Rubinstein, Haaretz, in recognition of his passionate engagement with Arab issues, and uncompromising editorial contributions.
- Peter David, Foreign Editor, The Economist, in recognition of the consistently original, well-sourced, informative Middle East coverage of The Economist.
- Caroline Hawley, BBC Television, in recognition of her sober, balanced and informative reporting from Iraq, and her sensitivity to local culture and concerns.
- Salah Ali Sindi, Editor In Chief, Istithmar Al Arabia Magazine, in recognition of the consistently progressive and enlightened editorial policy of his increasingly influential publication.
- Mohamed Chebaro, Al Arabieh
- Yoav Stern, Columnist on Palestinian Affairs, Haaretz
- Martin Asser, BBC News Website Correspondent
- Mona Eltahawy, Freelance journalist, Asharq Al-Awsat columnist
- Jane Kinninmont, Middle East Editor, Business Monitor International
The 2005 awards
- Richard Beeston, Diplomatic Editor of The Times. In recognition of his high standards of reporting and the quality of his news analysis, which of itself promotes understanding.
- Ari Rath, former Editor and Managing Director of The Jerusalem Post; currently News Editor of Partners for Peace, the voice of the Copenhagen Group. His award is in recognition of a lifetime of achievement and tireless work for rapprochement and peace.
- Abdul Rahman al Rashed, Head of Al Arabia Satellite News TV, Dubai and former Editor-in-Chief of Al Sharq al Awsat. His award was in recognition of his efforts to maintain the highest standards of professional integrity in countering incitement and disinformation.