The Eric and Amy Burger Award 2000

Best international reporting in the broadcast media dealing with human rights.

AWARD DATE: 2000

AWARD NAME: The Eric and Amy Burger Award 2000

AWARD RECIPIENT: Sorious Samara, Ron McCullagh, Elizabeth Ground

AWARD RECIPIENT AFFILIATION: CNN Productions and Insight News Television

AWARD HONORED WORK: “Cry Freetown”

With this documentary, Sorious Samura and CNN have told the long-ignored story of the bloody January, 1999, sacking of Freetown, Sierre Leone. During some of the worst violence, cameraman Samura was the only journalist on the scene, filming abuses against a civilian population —including mass amputations. Samura’s film was almost never shown because networks found it too graphic.

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