The winners of The Inquirer Award 2008 – the investigative reporter of the year award – will be announced at a special Award ceremony that will be held in Amman under the patronage of HRH Princess Rym Ali, on Friday 27 February.

This is the fourth year for The Inquirer Award project in the region.  Building on the success of previous years, the project in 2008 expanded in two ways… First: Journalists from Iraq became eligible to compete with their fellow journalists from Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan.  And second: a full category for Photojournalism was introduced in addition to the categories of Print and Television news reporting.

Judges looked for entries that showed comprehensive and thorough research, incisive interviewing techniques, and creative and well-constructed writing and presentation. A total of 128 print articles; 20 television reports and 32 photojournalists entered the competition.  The name of the reporter was blacked out and the entry was given a number.  The judges scored each entry according to 6 criteria.  Fifteen print entries and ten television entries were then short-listed and sent to the final round judge from outside the region.  

The total score determined the first, second and third place winners in each category.

As well as receiving The Inquirer Award 2008 trophy, the first place winner from each of the three categories will be hosted by The Thomson Foundation for an all-expense paid study tour for one week in the UK.

TRAINING WORKSHOPS
As part of the project, specialised trainers from The Thomson Foundation ran a series of training workshops on the skills of investigative reporting as well as practical workshops on photojournalism in all the participating countries.  A total of 110 print and television journalists and 45 photojournalists benefited from this practical training.

The Inquirer Award project aims to raise the professional standard of investigative journalism and to recognise the work of excelling journalists in the region.

PHOTOJOURNALISM
The Thomson Foundation recognises the vital part played by photographs in the reporting of news and current affairs.  Pictures have become an integral part of the international language of communication.  Newspapers are now competing with television and the Internet; the quality of their photography is fast becoming central to their success and even to their survival.

With this in mind, the Thomson Foundation, for the first time this year, added a photojournalism category to the Inquirer Award competition.  The judging panel selected the best 44 photos out of all those that participated in the competition.  The Thomson Foundation is pleased to showcase these photos in an exhibition that will tour Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine.  

The Inquirer Award project aims to raise the professional standard of investigative journalism and to recognise the work of excelling journalists in the region.

The Inquirer Award project is managed by The Thomson Foundation and is funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK.

The Thomson Foundation is a registered British charity and one of Europe’s biggest media organisations that is playing a vital role in providing practical training to journalists, technicians and production staff in television, radio and the press.  Established in 1962, the Thomson Foundation is run by a small core staff from the head office in Cardiff, Wales.  It works with a dedicated highly experienced team of over 60 media specialists conducting training courses, workshops and seminars in over 40 countries around the world.  Thomson has also managed communications projects for governments, media organisations and NGOs in many countries in the Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe.

THE JUDGES

The 1st Round judges for the PRINT category:

• From Lebanon, Ms. Sanaa Al Jack.   Is currently a section editor for Asharq Al Awsat newspaper in Beirut.  She has a long career in journalism and has also worked in the press offices of The Lebanese Ministry of Emigrants as well as in the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  She also has experience in the training of journalists and has spoken many times at international conferences.
• From Jordan, Ms. Randa Habib.  Has spent a quarter of a century covering war, politics and economic development in the Middle East.  Currently the bureau chief of the French News Agency in Jordan, Ms. Habib has long experience as a field journalist having extensively covered the situation in Iraq since the first Gulf war in 1990.  She founded the first Foreign Press Club in Jordan in 1996, and still heads it.  In 2001 Ms. Habib was awarded the French Labour Medal and was named by the French President Chevalier de L’Ordre National du Merite.  In 2008 she was granted the decoration of “Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur”.  She recently published a book in French on the history and politics of the Late King Hussein.  The Arabic version was published in 2008.
• From Palestine: Mr. Walid Omary. Currently Bureau Chief - AlJazeera Network Satellite Channel- Jerusalem. Covering news from West Bank, Gaza Strip and Israel, producing, and broadcasting reports and news stories.  Mr. Omari has a BA in International Relations, Diploma in covering conflicts and a High Diploma in Journalism and Communication.  Mr. Omari also worked as Co-ordinator for Radio Training Program Media Institute, Birzeit University.  Correspondent for Multi Kolti Radio Station – Berlin, and Radio Orient – Paris.  He is the author of several books on Israeli media and politics, and is the recipient of a number of awards.
• From Syria, Mr. Ibrahim Hamidi.  Currently the bureau chief and senior correspondent in Damascus of the London based al-Hayat newspaper and BBC Arabic Television, in addition to his contributions to several other media outlets such as the English language “Forward” magazine and Syria Today.
• From Iraq, Mrs. Alia Taleb Al Jbouri.  She has a long history in the field of media and journalism in Iraq.  She currently heads “Iraqis for Independent Broadcast Organisation”.   She has worked in many positions among them a media consultant for The International Federation of Journalists which is based in Brussels.  She has also worked as a correspondent and writer for several Iraqi and Arab newspapers.  She has published a number of books and research papers.

The Final Round judge for the PRINT category:

• From Kuwait, Dr. Ayed Al Manna’a.  He is currently the Secretary General of The Gulf Association of Journalists and Analysts.  He is a free lance political analyst for Kuwait Radio and Television, Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya and several other regional and pan Arab stations.  He has a regular column in Al Watan daily newspaper and is also a professor of Public Administration at Kuwait University.

The 1st Round judges for the TELEVISION category:

• From Lebanon, Dr. Ahmad Zeineddine.  Currently professor of journalism at the Media Department of the Lebanese University.  He also works with a number of media organisations among which are Al Hayat Newspaper, Al Jazeera Media Training Centre and the Media Dialogue programme of the BBC World Service.  Dr. Zeineddine has extensive experience in journalism in both academic study and practical experience having worked at several news organisations in Lebanon and French.  Dr. Zeineddine has published many articles on the media and has conducted several training workshops on journalism and technology.  He recently published a book entitled: “Journalistic Editing – A Practical Guide”.
• From Jordan, Ms. Bayan Tal is currently international media manager at the Royal Hashemite Court's Media and Communication Directorate. She previously served as director of government communications at the Prime Ministry of Jordan. Ms. Tal spent most of her 27-year career at the Jordan Radio and Television Corporation, where she was assistant director general for training and development, after an extensive career as a broadcast journalist and news anchor.

The Final Round judge for the TELEVISION category:

• From Dubai, Mr. Nabil Khatib, currently the Executive Editor of Al-Arabiya News Channel. He has extensive hands-on experience in media studies, film production and political reporting.  For several years Mr. Khatib worked as a professor of Mass Communications at Birzeit University and chaired the Media Department there.  His practical experience coupled with his academic background has enabled Mr. Khatib to play a constructive role in the field.

The 1st Round judges for the PHOTOJOURNALISM category:

• From Lebanon, Mr. Roger Mukarzel.  His passion for photography started at the early age of 15 during the long civil conflict in Lebanon.  His long career as a photojournalist with Sygma and Reuters allowed him to explore the region and the world during a very volatile time.  Mr. Mukarzel has received many international awards in recognition of his work.  L’Express Magazine in Paris recognized Mr. Mukarzel as one of the 100 people that move Lebanon.  He has held many exhibitions and published several photography books.
• From the UK, Mr. Colin Jacobson.  One of Britain’s most respected picture editors.  He has chaired the World Press Photo organization and founded the ground breaking “Reportage” magazine.  He was leader of the Photojournalism MA course at the University of Westminister and is a member of the World Press Photo UK Committee.
• From the UK, Ms. Clare Freestone.  The assistant curator of photographs at the National Portrait Gallery.  The gallery has been pre-eminent in raising the status of photography in Britain.  It regularly holds exhibitions of photographs, and often has on show paintings and photographs of the same subject, inviting viewers to compare the two art forms.

The Final Round judge for the PHOTOJOURNALISM category:

• From the UK, Mr. Stuart Franklin.  President of Magnum, the world’s most prestigious photo agency.  He holds the University of Oxford Gibbs prize for photography; won the Christian Aid Award for Humanitarian Photography and has collected World Press Photo and Tom Hopkinson Awards.

THE WINNERS

PRINT CATEGORY

• 3rd Place for best investigative report for the print media
  From Palestine; Mr. Hassan Yousef Dohan working for Al Hayat Al Jadeeda newspaper.
  An investigation into the owners of the smuggling tunnels and the price paid by the people.
• 2nd Place for best investigative report for the print media
  From Jordan; Mr. Emad Shaheen working for Al Muwajah weekly newspaper.
  An investigation into allegations of human trafficking in the Qualified Industrial Zones in Jordan.
• 1st Place for best investigative report for the print media
  From Palestine; Mr. Ibrahim Abu Kamish working for Al Hayat Al Jadeeda newspaper and Sanabel monthly newspaper.
  An investigation into allegations of torture at the interrogation centres of the Palestinian Authority.

TELEVISION CATEGORY

• 3rd Place for best investigative report for television
  From Lebanon; Ms. Ogarite Dandash working for New TV
  An investigation into allegations of torture in Lebanese jails.
• 2nd Place for best investigative report for television
  From Lebanon; Mr. Faris Hatoum working for New TV
  An investigation into the conditions of street children in Lebanon.
• 1st Place for best investigative report for television
  From Lebanon; Mr. Riyad Qubaisi working for New TV
  An investigation into the chaos of arms in a country rife with political and factional tensions.

PHOTOJOURNALISM CATEGORY

• 3rd Place for best news photographer
  From Syria; Mr. Wael Khalifah working for Al Baath Newspaper.
  A series of photos on smoking and how it affects children.
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• 2nd Place for best news photographer
  From Palestine; Mr. Mohammad Al Baba working for AFP
  A series of photos on the dangerous work of a photojournalist.
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• 1st Place for best news photographer
  From Palestine; Mr. Eyad Al Baba working for Al Ayyam Newspaper
  A series of photos on the Egyptian – Palestinian border.
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