Palestinian journalist Wael al-Dahdouh has been awarded the Courage Prize at the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Press Freedom Awards. The ceremony in Washington DC recognised five journalists for their contributions to press freedom. Al-Dahdouh, the head of Al Jazeera\u2019s Gaza desk, was honoured for his unwavering commitment to journalism despite personal tragedies. Our heartfelt salute to Palestinian journalist Wael al-Dahdouh for his courageous work in documenting genocide in Gaza!
\nIn October 2023, Israeli airstrikes killed his wife, teenage son and young daughter. Earlier, his two nephews and his eldest son, also a journalist, were killed in similar attacks. He was injured in December 2023. He continues to symbolise resilience in the face of adversity. There were also over 100 media people from Palestine who were not alive to see this day. They were killed by Israeli strikes, while the champion of press freedom in the West looked the other way.
\nWhat about Pakistani journalists, also fighting their own battles for safety and justice?
\nThe Pakistan Journalists Safety Coalition (PJSC) in a meeting on Tuesday urged the federal and Sindh governments to set up commissions to protect journalists, as mandated by law. It warned that if action is not taken within a month, a white paper will expose the failure to hold perpetrators accountable.
\nThe PJSC expressed frustration over delays in forming a federal commission. Three years after the law\u2019s passage, the federal government has yet to notify the commission. The Sindh government, meanwhile, has not replaced the chairperson of its provincial commission, who resigned three months ago.
\nAccording to Freedom Network, Islamabad is the second most dangerous city for journalists after Sindh while the government is consistently under attack for ignoring its obligations to the members of the press. Time and again, judicial probe is demanded for the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif. However, the long list of speakers highlighting the increasing dangers journalists face in digital spaces and urging stronger action has done little to improve the situation on the ground.
\nJournalists from Palestine to Pakistan continue their related fights for safety and accountability. Let\u2019s hope that we will live to see the day when media people are truly free and protected to exercise their duty towards ensuring the transparency of democratic processeses. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Palestinian journalist Wael al-Dahdouh has been awarded the Courage Prize at the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Press Freedom Awards. The ceremony in Washington DC recognised five journalists for their contributions to press freedom. Al-Dahdouh, the head of Al Jazeera\u2019s Gaza desk, was honoured for his unwavering commitment to journalism despite personal tragedies. Our heartfelt salute […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-447598","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-editorial"},"yoast_head":"\n