Best international reporting in any medium dealing with human rights
AWARD DATE: 2016
AWARD NAME: 17 The Joe and Laurie Dine Award
AWARD RECIPIENT: The Associated Press Staff
AWARD RECIPIENT AFFILIATION: The Associated Press
AWARD HONORED WORK: “Islamic State: A Savage Legacy”
AWARD SPONSOR: Philip Dine
AP’s “Savage Legacy” series was a powerful reminder of the role that the basic business of journalism – getting the facts – still plays in the battle against human rights abuses, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The series also underlined how the reach of a global news agency can tell a story that goes beyond one country or region, showing the patterns that reflect systematized atrocities. The series is also a testament to the spirit and endurance of public service journalism. While officials were slow to document the deaths and destruction of the Islamic State, AP reporters, often at great personal risk, took an active role collecting evidence of the tragedies and despair. The AP documented the existence of 72 mass graves and the destruction of cultural and religious sites by corroborating survivor testimony with satellite imagery, on the ground reporting and reports from local rights groups. The result was a series of stories that established not just the terrible facts, but gave voice to the survivors of atrocities, implicitly challenging the international community to ensure that the perpetrators are eventually held to account.
Read “Islamic State: A Savage Legacy” >>
Citation Recipient: Rachel Nolan
Affiliation: Harpers
Honored Work: “Innocents: Where Pregnant Women Have More to Fear than Zika”