‘The World at a Crossroads’ Award
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2024 Hinzpeter Awards Winners
Mohammed, Salah, Marwan and Ibrahim are video journalists from the Gaza Strip, Palestine.
When the Gaza war began in October 2023, they formed a team and covered the horrors of war, producing two episodes of "Voices from Gaza" for Al Jazeera English Channel's program "Witness."
Despite facing the same dangers of Israeli airstrikes and death, the four journalists captured the courage and determination of Gaza residents, who strive to continue their lives and maintain solidarity on their video.
Mohammed Sawwaf, the team leader, had 45 relatives lost and severely injured due to Israeli bombings. However, he returned to the field with his camera to continue reporting.
At times, the four journalists put down their cameras and joined rescue operations where more help was needed.
The judges unanimously agreed that the efforts of the four journalists to expose the horrors of the Gaza-Israel war from the perspective of ordinary citizens and those helping victims,
in a place where external access and reporting were limited, truly embody the values and goals pursued by the Awards.
They commended the journalists for documenting and sharing with the world how communities came together in dedication and solidarity to overcome fear, grief, and suffering.
As the judges concluded their deliberations and prepared for the announcement, the tragic news of the death of Marwan Al-Sawaf, one of the four journalists, reached us.
Recognizing that their video reports do not depict a resolved or bygone issue but rather an ongoing, hellish reality, the Hinzpeter International Journalism Award Organizing Committee and the panel of judges extend their deepest condolences and honor the memory of Marwan Al-Sawaf, who never put down his camera in his pursuit of exposing the horrors of the Israel-Hamas war
A Child of Gaza
Amid the chaos of the Gaza war in November and December 2023, nine-year-old Elaf struggled to survive alongside her family amidst relentless airstrikes and the constant fear of death.
This video footage exposes the true nature of war through the eyes of a young girl.
Furthermore, the documentation of the family's journey in search of a safe refugee camp is not only a testament to the suffering of Gaza's citizens, but also a powerful record of how each individual in Gaza strives to uphold and preserve their dignity as human beings.
It highlights the collective strength of solidarity in the community's hope for recovery.
Rescue Mission Gaza
During the first three weeks of the Gaza-Israel war, Israeli airstrikes left 2.3 million residents of the Gaza Strip at a crossroads between life and death.
On October 27, 2023, Gaza's communication was completely cut off, worsening the isolation.
On Sunday, October 29, 2023, the three journalists—Mohammed Sawwaf, Salah Al Haw, and Ibrahim Al Otla—joined rescue workers on a mission to document the relentless bombings and the people risking their lives to save others.
The previous day, these same journalists had put down their cameras to assist in rescuing victims at a bombing site while covering similar events.
The next day, they returned to resume their work despite the unending pain and the precarious balance between life and death.
Even in the overwhelming pain and the thin line between life and death, their documentation of this day’s events paradoxically reveals both the horror of war and the resilience of humanity.
During the first three weeks of the Gaza-Israel war, 2.3 million residents of the Gaza Strip were caught between life and death due to Israel's airstrikes.
On October 27, 2023, the entire communication network in Gaza was cut off, further intensifying the region's isolation.
On Sunday, October 29, 2023, three journalists—Mohammed Sawwaf, Salah Al Haw, and Ibrahim Al Otla—joined paramedics on their rescue missions, documenting on video the relentless bombings, the people who suffered as a result, and the desperate efforts of Gaza’s residents to rescue those affected.
Their footage exposed the brutality of a day shaped by war. The previous day, these same journalists had put down their cameras to assist in rescuing victims at a bombing site.
The next day, they returned to resume their work covering similar events despite the unending pain and the precarious balance between life and death.
Even in the face of ongoing suffering and the thin line between life and death, the war footage from October 27 paradoxically captures not only the horrors and chaos of war but also the remarkable resilience and inspiring narratives of humanity prevailing over fear.
Yousef Hammash is a video journalist and a local activist for an international organization in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. When Israeli airstrikes on the Palestinian enclave of Gaza began on October 7, 2023, he covered the damage to buildings, infrastructure, and civilians in Gaza City, the capital, and the northern areas of the Strip.
He also documented the emergency evacuation and rescue operations of the victims, reporting the situation for Channel 4 News in the UK.
His series of reports under the title ‘Inside the Gaza Siege’, have become crucial in conveying the horrors of the war in Gaza to the world, especially for foreign media outlets unable to enter the Gaza Strip themselves.
The entry submitted for the News category of the 2024 Hinzpeter Awards is a news report documenting the immense damage, civilian casualties, and the fear and chaos experienced by citizens in the Gaza Strip during the three days following the Israeli attacks.
While the journalist and his family also sought refuge at his in-laws' home, he completed three days of reporting. Struggling to transmit the footage due to frequent power outages and communication disruptions, yet he managed to send the horrific realities of Gaza to the world.
From the shelter, he wrote articles on his phone and recorded audio under a blanket. In search of a stable signal, he risked his life by climbing to the rooftop's water tank during a night of intense bombings to transmit his audio report to Channel 4 News.
The resulting news footage became his entry for the award.
The judges remarked that in Yousef Hammash's efforts to report and document through his video journalism, they saw parallels to the situation faced by the citizens of Gwangju during the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, as well as the dedication of journalists like Hinzpeter who worked tirelessly to reveal the truth.
Despite being only three minutes long, Hammash’s footage vividly conveyed the fear and panic that engulfed Gaza. The judges also noted that, in a place where the words ‘human rights’ and ‘humanity’ seemed erased, the lens of the video journalist became the only hope to relay the cries of despair.
The judges not only recognized and encouraged Yousef Hammash for his efforts and achievements as a video journalist, but also reached a unanimous decision to award him as a symbol of respect for all video journalists and reporters who, even at this moment, are risking their lives in Gaza, relying on their cameras and microphones to fulfill their professional duty of documenting and revealing the truth.
Gesbeen Mohammad, a Finnish video journalist and documentary producer, was named a co-recipient of the Grand Prize at the 2024 Hinzpeter Awards.
Along with British video journalist Robin Barnwell, Iranian journalist Hafez (pseudonym), and Iraqi freelance journalist Nechirvan Mando, they earned this year’s award for their report on the 2023 protests against mandatory hijab in Iran, which garnered significant attention.
This work, created in collaboration with British journalist Robin Barnwell, Iranian journalist Hafez (alias), and Iraqi freelance journalist Nechirvan Mando, documented the crackdown on citizens following the death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for not wearing her hijab properly.
This piece, broadcast on the UK’s ITV, captured the long-standing resistance of Iranian citizens to government repression since 1979. The judges praised it as a vivid and impactful documentary.
The work, broadcast on UK’s iTV, captures the continued oppression by the Iranian government and the struggle of its citizens for freedom, following the death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by the police for not wearing her hijab properly.
The project was praised by the judges as a powerful documentary that vividly records the longest-running resistance of the Iranian people since 1979, using a wide range of compelling footage.
According to Mohammad, over 20,000 people, including more than 100 journalists, were arrested last year due to the Iranian government’s crackdown on the protest movement, with over 500 people losing their lives, including more than 70 children.
This recalls the experiences of South Korea's democratization process, and the judges concluded that, in an environment of press suppression, the desire for freedom and the bravery shown by the journalists and Iranian citizens mirror the same spirit that Hinzpeter testified to during his lifetime.
However, this project also raised some points for consideration during the judging process. The work involved communication with over 150 Iranian women, many of whom courageously came forward to testify in front of the camera.
The entry was also completed through collaboration with local citizens, and as a result, much of the footage provided by civilians was included in the final work, which deviates somewhat from the traditional journalistic values of field reporting typically highlighted by this award.
This method of production, which reflects the changes of the times, highlighted the need for new discussions regarding the values and scope of journalism that the Hinzpeter Awards aim to promote in the future.
Additionally, in the case of Iran, the broader context is not well known in many countries, including South Korea, and the volume of coverage in both global and Korean news media is relatively low.
As a result, compared to other works that receive more media exposure, the urgency and social significance of the reporting in this entry may have been less emphasized due to these regional limitations.
Nevertheless, the judges concluded that this piece faithfully fulfilled the role and function of journalism by revealing the truth through undercover reporting and collaboration with local citizens in a dangerous dictatorship where reporting itself posed significant risks.
The United Nations Human Rights Council has since concluded that Amini's death was caused by assault, and the Iranian government's response was a violation of human rights based on gender and race, constituting a crime against humanity.
This year, the UN Human Rights Council's investigative team concluded that the cause of Amini's death was assault, and that the Iranian government's response constituted a human rights violation and a crime against humanity, rooted in gender and racial discrimination.
Luigi Scarano is a video journalist and investigative reporter who has worked for various online media outlets specializing in political reporting, where he films and edits his own footage. He has conducted investigative reporting on a range of political and social issues, including political corruption and far-right extremism.
‘The Meloni Youth’ is an investigative report that exposed the reality of the 'Italian National Youth,' the foundation upon which Italy became the first major Western nation to form a 'far-right' government. Journalist Luigi Scarano went undercover in the 'Italian National Youth,' the political base of current Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who followed the far-right elite path to becoming Italy's head of state. Through several months of video reporting and interviews, Scarano uncovered why young members are drawn to far-right politics, while revealing the presence of fascist nostalgia, Anti-Semitism, and racial discrimination spreading among them.
Aisha Farrurkh is a journalist at Pakistan’s TCM (The Centrum Media) and currently serves as the Head of Content. In her report Bonded by Brick, she exposes the issue of forced micro loans and the resulting exploitation faced by brick workers in Pakistan’s rural areas, who produce the bricks used as essential construction materials. The report highlights the problem of debt bondage passed down through generations. Additionally, she documents the efforts of human rights and labor activist Syeda Ghulam Fatima and her organization in fighting to free brick workers from bonded labor. Rather than focusing on despair, the report captures the stories of courage and hope emerging from the lives of the brick workers.
Laila Al Arian, the executive producer for Al Jazeera English, submitted this piece on behalf of the video journalists who worked tirelessly to cover the story in Gaza. The Night Won’t End tells the stories of three families living under the constant fear of airstrikes in Gaza.
The harrowing testimonies of three Palestinian families, including six-year-old Hind Rajab, who was trapped in a car with her family during an Israeli attack in January that killed her and her relatives, and the Salem family, who lost dozens of members in an Israeli airstrike, vividly expose the fear and anger caused by the war, the sorrow of losing loved ones, and the devastating trauma they continue to endure.
The story of Hind, a six-year-old girl who died after her family was killed by an Israeli tank, reveals that even though rescuers obtained permission to respond, their ambulance was attacked, killing them as well and preventing Hind from being saved. Her tragic death illustrates that no justification can ever make war acceptable and serves as a clear reason why we must oppose all wars. The film also sharply criticizes the Biden administration for turning a blind eye to Israeli war crimes, highlights U.S. criticism of Israeli civilian massacres, and raises the issue of U.S. responsibility, backed by Amnesty International's testimony that American weapons were used in these war crimes.
The story of Hind illustrates that no justification or reasoning can ever make war acceptable. The six-year-old died in a car after her family was killed by an Israeli tank, and rescue workers, who had finally obtained permission to respond, were also attacked and killed at the scene before they could save her. This underscores the clear reason why we must oppose all wars. The film also strongly criticizes the Biden administration for turning a blind eye to Israeli war crimes and highlights sharp criticism within the U.S. regarding Israel's massacre of civilians, as well as testimony from Amnesty International that U.S. weapons were used in these war crimes, thereby raising the issue of U.S. government responsibility.
The 2024 May Gwangju Award has been awarded to three video journalists: former NBC cameramen Vo Suu and Dinh Phuc Le from Vietnam, who filmed and reported some of the most iconic scenes of the Vietnam War, including ‘The Execution of General Loan (1968)’ and ‘The Napalm Girl (1972),’ and the late Alan Downes, former ITN cameraman from the UK. Their footage played a decisive role in influencing U.S. and international policy on the Vietnam War and made significant contributions to expanding and elevating the status of video journalism and TV journalism. In recognition of their contributions, Vo Suu, Dinh Phuc Le, and the late Alan Downes have been honored with the award.
The judges highly valued the fact that these two video reports played a crucial role in spreading anti-war sentiment regarding the Vietnam War, leading to strong public opinion in the U.S. that the war must end, which ultimately influenced policy changes. They also noted that, in the early 1970s, when television was becoming more widespread and the influence of video reporting was steadily growing, these reports marked a pivotal moment in the history of video journalism. At the time, print media—particularly newspapers—held more influence than video. The filmed footage from these reports was undervalued compared to the photo coverage published in print media of the same events. However, in retrospect, these reports have been re-evaluated and serve as a significant reminder of the lasting importance of video journalism.
Therefore, selecting these three journalists as recipients of the 'May Gwangju Award' at the 2024 4th Hinzpeter Awards serves as a recognition of the history of video journalism that they pioneered, their efforts, and the sharp instincts and braveries they demonstrated while reporting from war zones.
Hinzpeter also covered the Vietnam War. Yu Yeong-gil, an NBC video journalist who reported on Gwangju in May 1980 and the recipient of the first 'May Gwangju Award,' similarly elevated the profile of video journalism through his coverage of the Vietnam War. Both Hinzpeter and Yu instinctively headed to Gwangju in May 1980, just as they had previously done in Vietnam, viewing both as equally critical reporting grounds.
In selecting the recipients of this year's 'May Gwangju Award,' the judges also took into consideration that next year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. Although 50 years have passed since the war ended, tragedies such as the Israel-Hamas conflict and the Ukraine-Russia war continue, with the deaths and suffering of ordinary people persisting. It is hoped that this awarding of the 'May Gwangju Award' will serve as a reminder for the international community, along with the media, to reflect on how to work together to promote peace and end war, expanding solidarity in the process.
