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ISLAMABAD — The improving coverage of human rights issues by the media in Pakistan is reflective of the greater professionalism of the sector and the growing citizen-centric perspectives in the national narrative.
This emerges clearly from the winning entries of news reports published or broadcast this year in newspapers and television channels across Pakistan. Five reporters were announced winners of the first National Awards in Excellence in Reporting on Human Rights 2009 on the eve of the International Human Rights Day, falling on December 10.
The awards are funded by The Asia Foundation as part of its efforts to raise the profile of human rights in the Pakistani media being implemented by Intermedia, a Pakistani media development organisation focusing on media advocacy, research and training.
Nearly 130 news stories, features and documentaries focusing on human rights issues from all over Pakistan were received for the prestigious award competition including those from dozens of national and regional language newspapers and TV channels. A committee of members comprising media and human rights experts, editors and senior journalists judged the entries under six categories of journalism excellence and best practices and announced the winners on December 9.
Rana Muhammad Afzal ('Jang Daily') from Rahimyar Khan won the Human Rights Journalism Award 2009 with a cash prize of 50,000 rupees (1,000 U.S. dollars) for the category of print media in national languages (English and Urdu).
There was one award for regional language but because excellent entries were received, the committee decided to divide the 50,000 rupees (1,000 dollars) prize for these categories among Mehruallah Raisani (Brahvi language daily 'Talar') from Noshki, Muhammad Ayub (Pashto daily 'Jid-o-Jehad') from Mardan and Jameel Soomro (Sindhi language fortnightly 'Ibrat') from Sukkur for their reports in these languages.
The 50,000 rupees award for the category of national electronic media for excellence in reporting on human rights issues was won by Naziha Mehmood of Samaa TV, from Karachi.
Intermedia (www.intermedia.org.pk) is an independent media development organisation based in Islamabad. Since its inception in 2005, it has completed a dozen key projects with the major focus on the capacity building of journalists, conducting theme-based training workshops for hundreds of media persons and organisations in all provinces of Pakistan, production of theme-based radio programs as well as research and advocacy on media issues.
Early this year Intermedia launched a project of The Asia Foundation on raising the profile of human rights issues through effective media in 12 selected districts of Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab and North West Frontier Province. During this period Intermedia has held training workshops for 480 working journalists and conducted public forums for civil society stakeholders to highlight the importance of human rights issues.
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Aung Htun (not his real name) is one of the young video journalists featured in the award-winning feature documentary 'Burma VJ (Reporting from a Closed Country)'. 
