Journalist Neha Dixit Receives International Press Freedom Award 2019

Indian Journalist Neha Dixit has been honoured with the International Press Freedom Award 2019 for her groundbreaking and bold reports on serious issues of the society. The award has been given by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a non-profit organisation that aims at making journalism a space of free voice without any retaliation.

Apart from Neha, other awardees of one of the prestigious honour in journalism were Patricia Mello, a Brazilian journalist, Lucia Ubau and Miguel Mora of Nicaraguan broadcaster 100% Noticias and Maxence Mubyazi, co-founder of an online Tanzanian discussion platform.  Dixit has made her space among these international and brave journalists to represent freedom of Journalism in India.

The freedom that Dixit foreshadows as a journalist undoubtedly comes at a huge cost. For her stories on intricate issues and silenced crimes, she has been harassed both online and offline.

Key Takeaways:

• Indian Journalist Neha Dixit received the Press Freedom Award 2019, a prestigious honour that recognises courageous and unfiltered journalism about the society.
• The award has been given by Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
• Neha is a Delhi-Based journalist who reports specifically on politics, social justice and gender in South Asia.
• For her honest and bold stories on the issues of society, she has been harassed and threatened by authorities.
• Reflecting on the situation of journalism in our country, Neha Dixit said, “if you criticise the government you’re seen as somebody who is anti-national.”

A journalist with a voice against the wrong

Neha Dixit is a Delhi-based journalist who reports on politics, social justice and gender in South Asia. One of the many examples of her brave journalism is her report on trafficking of 31 girls from Northeast by the Sangh Parivars to “Hinduise” them. Other than these, she has been outspoken about and condemned the trafficking by the Hindu Nationalists Organisation, madrasas in Delhi and the Maoist groups.

Also Read: RSF warning to India in first World Press Freedom Index Incident Report

The freedom that Dixit foreshadows as a journalist undoubtedly comes at a huge cost. For her stories on intricate issues and silenced crimes, she has been harassed both online and offline. According to The Hindu, she has also received threats from the Police Officers for her reports on extra-judicial cases. For her story on the trafficking of north-eastern girls, two criminal cases were also filed against her.

What does journalism mean in India?

Finally, with the honour of the Press Freedom Award, Dixit’s courage and unfiltered journalism have gained international recognition. In her acceptance speech, she said, “The last couple of years have been about endless follow-ups on legal cases, death threats and rape threats…complete with descriptions on how it should be conducted on my body ... A journalist has to put things on the table, be critical of government schemes and policies. But if you criticise the government you’re seen as somebody who is anti-national.”

Picture Credit: Scroll

Rudrani Kumari is an intern with SheThePeople.TV

Also Read: Journalist Neha Dixit Bags International Press Freedom Award 2019