Matthew Caruana Galizia shortlisted for RSF Press Freedom Awards

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) today announced the shortlist for its Press Freedom Awards, including Matthew Caruana Galizia in a list of 12 nominees.

Journalists, NGOs, and media organisations from across the globe have been nominated in three categories for the RSF Press Freedom Awards, honouring ‘Courage’, ‘Impact’, and ‘Independence’ in journalism. A fourth award, ‘L’esprit de RSF,’ will be presented to a UK journalist to mark London’s hosting of the awards, with a shortlist of four nominees.

Caruana Galizia has been shortlisted for RSF’s prize for ‘Impact’ because of his tireless work over the past year in pursuit of justice for the assassination of his mother, Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia who was assassinated in a car bomb a few metres outside her home a year ago.

“Matthew has been a driving force in galvanising the international community to take action in his mother’s case. He has faced significant pressure in retaliation for his efforts to hold the Maltese authorities to account – including a defamation suit being pursued against him by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat – and we hope this award nomination will provide some moral support for his important work,” UK Bureau Director Rebecca Vincent told The Shift News.

The nominees are from 12 countries, and include Italian investigative journalist Paolo Borometti, Swati Chaturvedi, an Indian freelancer taking on social media mobs,  and a masked Ghanaian undercover reporter who now lives in hiding after his revelations about bribery shook the African football world.

Caruana Galizia was awarded the Pulitzer-prize with the team at International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) in 2017.

The prestigious RSF Press Awards ceremony on 8 Novermber will be held at the Getty Images Gallery in London. The ceremony will be presented by Lindsey Hilsum, Channel 4 News’ Chief International Correspondent.

Established in 1992, previous winners of the awards include the renowned late Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, imprisoned Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, courageous Syrian journalist Zaina Erhaim, and embattled Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet.

“This year’s shortlist reflects the challenges faced by brave journalists across the world. All of the nominees for our Press Freedom Awards courageously fight back against forces that would prefer journalism didn’t exist, from online mobs to organised crime and authoritarian governments,” said Christophe Deloire, RSF Secretary-General.

This year’s awards were selected by a high-profile international jury, including notable figures such as Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi and Chinese activist Wu’er Kaixi – both RSF emeritus board members – as well as RSF President Pierre Haski.

RSF’s UK advisory board – including Fleet Street legend Eve Pollard, former Director of BBC News James Harding, and Channel 4 News Anchor Jon Snow – selected the winner of the special ‘L’esprit de RSF’ prize.

“Recognising great journalism is important, not least because it sends a message of solidarity, proving that there is an international community that will stand up for the free media no matter where it is threatened, or by whom,” Vincent said.