Amnesty International UK Media Awards 1999

The eighth annual awards were held at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) on 24 June 1999. The awards were hosted by Moira Stuart.[1][2][3][4]

The overall winner was BBC TV Panorama’s "When Good Men Do Nothing", which covered the historical failures which had led to the situation in Rwanda and genocide.

David Bull, Director of Amnesty International UK, said: “Those working to defend human rights depend on the work of journalists whose dedication and determination help to expose injustice, torture and political killings. In a year that has seen continuing gross human rights violations around the world, including the unfolding tragedy of Kosovo, the role of the media in reporting these abuses of basic human rights has never been more vital.”[5][6]

The special award for human rights journalism under threat was awarded to Najam Sethi for his work as editor of the Pakistani national newspaper The Friday Times. He was unable to attend the awards as he had been arrested in Pakistan.

The awards also highlighted an the work of Mark Thomas, which was not entered into the competition. Thomas used his series The Mark Thomas Comedy Product to attend Defendory, a trade show for the arms industry. He claimed to be offering PR training to governments and military regimes on how to present a better public image on human rights abuse. His services were sought by the governments of Kenya and Indonesia. Whilst offering these spoof services, Thomas and his assistants filmed Indonesian government officials admitting that the armed forces used torture. The reactions of government departments and arms manufacturers also featured.

Pierre Sané, AI’s secretary general, addressed advances in human rights with the establishment of an International Criminal Court to try those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity, and in the arrest of General Pinochet. He also pointed to ongoing issues when he said, "But the reports from Kosovo, from the death cells of the USA, and from Sierra Leone also remind us that it has been an appalling year."[3]

The judges for all categories were Andy Blackmore,[lower-alpha 1] Romesh Gunesekera, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Mark Lattimer,[lower-alpha 2] Jenni Murray, Geoffrey Robertson QC and Mary Ann Sieghart.

Shortlist and Awards 1999

1999
Category Title Organisation Journalists Refs
National Print
‘In Diana’s footsteps’ The Observer John Sweeney

series ‘Kosovo: Human rights ignored’ The Guardian Jonathan Steele

Series on death row in the USA Daily Mirror Anton Antonowicz

Sudan article Daily Express Ros Wynne-Jones

Periodicals
′Human Rights Law Survey′ The Economist David Manasian

Judgement Day The Mail on Sunday Review Julia Stuart

′Scarred by Hate′ Marie Claire Emma Brooker

′The Lost Boys′ Granta Anna Pyasetskaya
Heidi Bradner

Photojournalism
Suffering in Kosovo The Guardian and Observer Andrew Testa

′The War the West Forgot′ The Independent Magazine Dean Chapman

′Two Funerals in Kosovo′ The Independent on Sunday David Rose

Radio
′Arrest General Pinochet BBC Radio 4’s The World Tonight presented by Robin Lustig

Civilian BBC Radio 4:
From our Own Correspondent		 reported by Jeremy Vine

′The Choice′ BBC Radio 4 Lim Guan Eng & Tim Parr,
presented by Michael Buerk,

Special Award for
Human Rights Journalism
Under Threat
Najam Sethi (Urdu: نجم سیٹھی‎)
He was unable to receive his award in person he was prevented from boarding a plane in Lahore on route to London. A former prisoner of conscience, Najam Sethi is editor of the Pakistani national newspaper The Friday Times. In May 1999, Najam was arrested, badly beaten, and held in solitary confinement for three weeks. He was released on 2 June 1992. His arrest followed a BBC team investigating corruption in Pakistan.

Television
Documentary
'Mission Impossible' Channel 4:
Dispatches		 produced by Clark Productions

The Valley Channel 4 produced by Mentorn Barraclough Carey

When good men do nothing BBC TV: Panorama get list from BFI or BBC Webs

Television
News
Overall Winner
Burma: The Opposition BBC News Sue Lloyd-Roberts

Malaysia Channel 4 News Ian Williams

Sierra Leone BBC News Fergal Keane

War crimes in Kosovo BBC Newsnight Mark Urban

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ At the time of the 1999 Awards, Andy Blackmore was picture editor at The Independent
  2. ↑ At the time of the 1999 Awards, Mark Lattimer was Communications Director at Amnesty International UK

References

  1. ↑ "25 June 1999 MEDIA AWARDS 1999: WINNERS ANNOUNCED" (Press release). Amnesty International UK (AIUK) - AIUK Information Office. 25 June 1999. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  2. ↑ 25 June 1999 MEDIA AWARDS 1999: WINNERS ANNOUNCED at the Wayback Machine (archived 12 March 2000)
  3. 1 2 "MEDIA AWARDS". Amnesty International UK (AIUK). Archived from the original on 14 October 2003. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  4. ↑ MEDIA AWARDS at the Wayback Machine (archived 14 October 2003)
  5. ↑ "Latest News Media Awards 1999". Amnesty International UK (AIUK). Archived from the original on 17 January 2000.
  6. ↑ Latest News MEDIA AWARDS at the Wayback Machine (archived 17 January 2000)

External links

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