Amanpour hosts award for courageous journalism

Four inspiring journalists from Cameroon, Mexico, Thailand and Yemen will be honored with the Committee to Protect Journalists’ 2017 International Press Freedom Awards, an annual recognition of courageous journalism. The ceremony will hold on November 15 at the Grand Hyatt, New York and will be hosted by Christiane Amanpour, Chief International correspondent for CNN and CPJ senior advisor.

In a statement by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), made available to Daily Trust on Sunday, the awardees have covered the news at great risk, including retribution from political leaders and two have had to flee their homes because of death threats.

One of the awardees has been in prison for over three years for reporting on attacks carried out by an extremist group and another was detained twice by military officials and charged with sedition.

The CPJ will also present broadcast journalist Judy Woodruff, the managing editor of “PBS NewsHour” with the “Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award” for her work in advancing press freedom and strengthening the role of women journalists worldwide.

CPJ will present the Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award annually to an individual who has shown extraordinary and sustained achievement in the cause of press freedom. Previously known as the Burton Benjamin Memorial Award, it was renamed this year to honour the veteran journalist and former CPJ board member who died in late 2016.

The award winners are Ahmed Abba, a correspondent for Radio France Internationale’s Hausa service, Patricia Mayorga, a correspondent for the Mexico City-based newsmagazine Proceso, Pravit Rojanaphruk, a critical reporter and press freedom advocate in Thailand and Afrah Nasser, a Yemeni independent reporter and blogger who lives in exile.

Woodruff will be honored with CPJ’s inaugural Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award. The dinner chairman is David Rhodes, President of CBS News.