The Shifa Gardi Award committee has chosen CNN reporter Clarissa Ward as the recipient of the 2024 Shifa Gardi Award, marking the seventh year of the accolade.
As a frontline reporter, Ward has covered the devastation and suffering of war, bringing to light human stories from behind the scenes. She was the first Western journalist to reach the Gaza conflict scene, sharing human stories from both sides of the conflict with the world. Thus, she rightfully deserves the Shifa Gardi Award.
"I'm truly humbled to be receiving this award and particularly because it was created in memory of the brave and inspirational Shifa Gardi," Ward stated. "In this deeply divisive and polarized world, we have a responsibility to come back to the basics of journalism, keep telling people's stories, keep challenging those in positions of power and fundamentally to bear witness." she added.
Shifa Gardi was born during Saddam Hussein's war against Kurdistan and the conflict between Iraq and Iran. She pursued her studies under challenging conditions and emerged as a skilled journalist, covering the conflict involving the Peshmerga, Iraq, and the international coalition against ISIS. On February 25, 2017, in Mosul, Shifa Gardi tragically lost her life while documenting an ISIS massacre. In response, Rudaw Media Network established the Shifa Gardi Award to commemorate the efforts of female journalists who report on wars or engage in investigative journalism. To this end, a committee comprising several media experts from the Kurdistan Region and Europe was assembled to determine the annual recipient of the award.
This year, the award ceremony took place during a special TV hour at the location of Shifa Gardi's martyrdom in Mosul.
The past year has been marked by war and bloodshed, posing significant challenges for journalists. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) reports that 120 journalists were killed worldwide last year, highlighting the urgent need for the United Nations and countries to enhance efforts to protect journalists globally.
Rudaw Media Network
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