Three women journalists get WAN-IFRA Leadership Award
Three media women have been appointed winners of the WAN-IFRA Women in News’ 2021 Editorial Leadership Award. Edyth Kambalame, Editor of The Nation on Sunday in Malawi, is the laureate for Africa; Nyein Nyein Naing, Editor-in-Chief of the now shuttered 7Day Digital in Myanmar, for Southeast Asia; and Samia Nakhoul, Middle East Editor for Thomson Reuters, for the Arab Region.
The annual Award recognises the exemplary contribution of an editor to her newsroom, and under her leadership, her media organisation’s contribution to society, the WAN-IFRA said.
Edyth Kambalame is also Vice-President of the Malawi Editors’ Forum, Vice-Chairperson of the Board of the Media Council of Malawi, and Interim President of the Association of Women in Media in Malawi. She has more than 15 years of experience in the media industry.
I hope that this will encourage younger women journalists, and give them hope that their hard work and contributions to their newsrooms do get noticed and are worthy of recognition,” said Kambalame.
Nyein Nyein Naing is one of few women to ever hold the title of Editor in Chief of a major title in Myanmar. She started her journalism career in 2001 as an intern and rose up the editorial ranks at 7Day Digital. The publication was shuttered in response to a sweeping crackdown on independent media following the February 2021 military coup.
“I am humbled to receive this Award, especially at a time when independent press freedom has been curtailed in our country. Journalists, particularly women, have been abandoning their lifelong passion under a cloud of pressure and threats. May this Award represent all the women journalists of Myanmar, and let it stand as a symbol of courage and our commitment to bringing back the freedom of the press in our country,” said Naing.
Samia Nakhoul’s career has spanned 35 years of reporting from the Middle East, where she started out covering the civil war in Lebanon in the 1980s.
“I am deeply touched and honoured by this recognition. To the new generation of young women, I say: you are the voice of those who have no voices, be passionate, be rigorous, be truthful, be fearless and report without any favour or bias,” she said.
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