Draft:Fetisov Journalism Awards (FJA)

Introduction

The Fetisov Journalism Awards (FJA) are an international accolade awarded annually to journalists who demonstrate excellence in the field of journalism. The awards promote independent, ethical, and responsible journalism as a public good. Established in 2018 by philanthropist and entrepreneur Gleb Fetisov, the FJA is one of the most significant honours in global journalism and is the world's richest journalism prize.

History

The Fetisov Journalism Awards were inaugurated in 2018 with the vision of celebrating the social role of journalism worldwide. The Awards prize fund of 520,000 is the largest in the history of international journalism awards.

The Awards acknowledge journalists who report on critical issues and whose work has significant impact on society.

The FJA recognize work in four categories: Outstanding Contribution to Peace, Contribution to Civil Rights, Outstanding Investigative Reporting, and Excellence in Environmental Journalism. The winners are selected by a distinguished jury from a shortlist of entries prepared by an independent panel of experts and leading experts from all parts of the world. The three chosen winners in each category share a cash prize of 130,000 Swiss Francs (CHF)​``【oaicite:4】``​.

Mission and Goals

The mission of the Fetisov Journalism Awards is to promote outstanding journalism that is rooted in respect for ethics and public interests, shows courage, and which underpins core human values such as honesty, humanity and a commitment to the creation of a better world.

With this in mind the FJA also aims to show how journalism of this calibre contributes to improving the lives of individuals and communities.

The FJA also contributes to raising awareness of the work of journalists and media from diverse regions of the world and the work of the prize winners is further highlighted in a programme of educational webinars organised between the annual prize-giving ceremonies.

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Objectives

The Fetisov Journalism Awards set clear objectives that include organizing annual global contests to highlight journalists working on on hot issues according four categories. It also focuses on rewarding journalists with substantial monetary prizes for their dedication and helping increase the visibility of nominees and winners by publishing their work on the contest's website and in printed media. ​​

Submission Process

To participate in the Fetisov Journalism Awards, journalists can submit materials published in printed media or posted on media websites and outlets. The submission deadline is typically set for October 1st, with a shortlist of finalists announced in December and the winning projects revealed in April of the following year​``【oaicite:0】``​. The short list of the best 40 materials( 10 in each category) are selected by International team of Award Experts , and the decision about final best 12 is one by International Jury. Experts and Jury members are veteranls of journalism and leading media experts. Among Jury members are General Secretary of EFJ Ricardo Gutierrez, IPI Director Frane Maroevic, long term Article 19 President, Oxford professor Paddy Coulter, CPJ awardee, senior writer for Khaosod Pravit Rojanaphruk, founding member of Senegal Committee to Respect of Ethics, long term vice President of IFJ Diatou Cisse and others

Biography of Gleb Fetisov

Gleb Fetisov (Russian: Глеб Геннадьевич Фетисов; born June 5, 1966, in USSR) is businessman and philantropist, a multifaceted individual known for his work as a billionaire investor, film producer with Oscar-nominated productions, and a philanthropist. Fetisov holds a PhD and is a professor of economics and finance. He served as a member of the Federation Council for the Voronezh Region from 2001 to 2009 and was the chair of the Green Alliance party from 2012 to 2015. Since 2020, Fetisov has been a citizen of Cyprus, residing there​``【oaicite:1】``​.

In late 2019, Fetisov's philanthropic efforts led to the establishment of the Fetisov Journalism Awards by the Fetisov Charitable Foundation, based in Switzerland. The awards were conceived as the world's largest journalism awards, aiming to recognize and celebrate journalists worldwide for their dedication to promoting universal human rights and making a positive impact on society​``【oaicite:0】``​.

Notable Winners

The Fetisov Journalism Awards has had a range of distinguished winners who have contributed significantly to journalism. In 2021, for example, from approximately 400 entries, 12 finalists were selected. The winners were chosen by an international jury across four categories: Outstanding Investigative Reporting, Outstanding Contribution to Peace, Contribution to Civil Rights, and Excellence in Environmental Journalism​``【oaicite:5】``​

Outstanding Investigative Reporting

For example, the French team of Audrey Travère, Phineas Rueckert, and Paloma Dupont de Dinechin were recognized in the 'Outstanding Investigative Reporting' category for their series "The Cartel Project," which delved into topics such as the assassination of journalist Regina Martínez and the international arms trade affecting Mexican journalists​``【oaicite:4】``​.

Outstanding Contribution to Peace

In the 'Outstanding Contribution to Peace' category, Ali Al Ibrahim and Khalifa Al Khuder from Sweden/Syria were awarded for their investigative work on "Syria’s Sinister Yet Lucrative Trade in Dead Bodies," highlighting the grim trade in war-torn Syria​``【oaicite:3】``​.

Contribution to Civil Rights

The 'Contribution to Civil Rights' award was given to Corinne Redfern and Ali Ahsan for their work "She Was Trafficked into a Giant Brothel. Now She Runs It," shedding light on the harrowing realities of human trafficking in Bangladesh​``【oaicite:2】``​.

Excellence in Environmental Journalism

Bhrikuti Rai from Nepal received recognition in 'Excellence in Environmental Journalism' for a series of reports including "Drawing a Line in the Sand" and "Permit to Plunder," which discuss the environmental consequences of local government greed and poor conservation policies in Nepal​``【oaicite:1】``​.

The winners represent individual and collaborative efforts from countries such as India, Brazil, Nigeria, and Nepal, addressing a spectrum of critical social, economic, and political issues, including people trafficking, illegal arms dealing, oil industry misconduct, environmental threats, and migrant challenges​``【oaicite:0】``​.

Educational Initiatives and Events

The Fetisov Journalism Awards extend their influence beyond the annual awards by conducting a series of webinars aimed at supporting independent journalists and the news media. One such event is the "Journalism Up Against the State" webinar, which was held on July 27th, 2023. These webinars serve as platforms for sharing knowledge, experiences, and fostering discussions on critical issues facing journalists today​``【oaicite:1】``​.

Another notable event, titled "Secrets of investigative journalism," featured Can Dündar and other award-winning reporters sharing their stories and experiences. This event took place on July 19th, 2021, highlighting the practical and ethical challenges in investigative journalism. The webinar emphasized the core values of journalism such as accuracy, impartiality, independence, humanity, and responsible reporting, while providing guidelines on source protection, safety, security, solidarity, and collaboration among journalists​``【oaicite:0】``​.

These events underscore the commitment of the Fetisov Journalism Awards to not only recognize excellence in journalism but also to contribute to the ongoing education and professional development of journalists globally.

Impact on Journalism and Society

The FJA have made a significant impact on the field of journalism and on society as a whole. The awards celebrate and recognize journalism that exemplifies truth-telling and courageous reporting, demonstrating a universally shared vision of journalism as a public good and a progressive force for change, even among people from different backgrounds and cultures​``【oaicite:1】``​.

In a world where journalists often face hostility from those in power and mistrust from parts of the population, FJA plays a crucial role in restoring the reputation of journalists. The awards underscore the importance of journalists as watchdogs, peacemakers, guardians of civil rights, and promoters of environmental protection. By doing so, FJA contributes to valuing the critical role of journalists in serving citizens, civil society, and democracy, thereby enhancing journalism as a public good​``【oaicite:0】``​.

Critical Reviews and Context

The idea for the awards was conceived by Gleb Fetisov in co-operation with leading journalist and now chairperson of the FJA organizing committee, Eva Merkacheva. The concept was to create a Nobel-like prize for journalism, with a substantial prize enabling significant endeavors such as funding further journalism or contributing to improving the lives and conditions of people in journalism. This idea was partly inspired by Fetisov's own experiences with the legal system and the media coverage surrounding his case.

The awards were envisioned as a way to acknowledge and support the work of journalists, especially those highlighting critical and often overlooked issues in society. ​``【oaicite:1】``​​``【oaicite:0】``​.

References

1. "Environmental Journalism Honors", The New York Times, April 26, 2023. [1] 2. "The Wire's Sukanya Shantha Wins Fetisov Journalism Award", The Wire, April 24, 2022. [2] 3. "Journalist of BIRN BiH, winner of the second place of the international award 'Fetisov'", Detektor.ba, April 22, 2022. [3] 4. "Nepalis win two investigative journalism awards", Nepali Times, March 2, 2022. [4] 5. "Los Premios Fetisov reconocen al periodismo de investigación", El Siglo de Europa, July 22, 2021. [5] 6. "Journalismus für eine bessere Welt ausgezeichnet", Persoenlich.com, April 26, 2021. [6] 7. "Medios y periodistas latinoamericanos entre los finalistas de los Fetisov Journalism Awards", LatAm Journalism Review, November 2nd, 2020. [7] 8. "Bagaimana Menilai Mutu Jurnalisme?", Tirto.ID, October 19, 2020. [8] 9. "Reconocen investigación de periodista de La Hora", La Hora, May 23rd, 2020. [9] 10. "'Fetisov Journalism Awards 2020', al via il contest che premia il giornalismo d'eccellenza", FNSI, Italy, May 5th, 2020. [10] 11. "Indonesia palm oil investigation shortlisted for Fetisov Journalism Award", Mongabay.com, November 22nd, 2019. [11] 12. "Reporter awarded internationally for investigative series", Winnipeg Free Press, Canada, January 22nd, 2020. [12] 13. "Fetisov Awards: A Russian billionaire just handed out the biggest-prize money for journalism", The Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), Turkey, January 24th, 2020. [13] 14. "Los cuadernos de las coimas", investigación premiada en el Fetisov Journalism Awards", La Nacion, Argentina, January 23rd, 2020. [14] 15. "The Nation’s Ololade wins global journalism award", The Nation, Nigeria, April 24, 2022. [15] 16. "Xavier Aldecoa (journalist): 'There are still many child soldiers in the world'", El Siglo de Europa, July 1, 2021. [16] 17. "The Caravan’s investigative report wins second prize at Fetisov Journalism Awards", Caravan Magazine, February 12th, 2021. [17] 18. "Investigación periodística 'Tierra de resistentes' ganó tercer lugar en concurso internacional", El Pitazo, February 10th, 2021. [18] 19. "'Fisayo Soyombo wins major global award with Ikoyi prison undercover investigation", The Cable, Nigeria, February 10th, 2021. [19]