Journalist Nidhi Razdan's Show Wins International Press Institute Award

Noted journalist Nidhi Razdan's show on private news media NDTV gets the International Press Institute (IPI) India award for excellence in journalism on November 27. IPI awarded the show for its “expose of the conspiracy to scuttle” the Kathua rape and murder case prob. A statement issued by the India chapter of the Vienna-based IPI read that the expose of the hypocrisy across the political spectrum “represented excellence in journalism.”

The prestigious award recognises the work done by an Indian media organisation or journalist in print, radio, television and internet mediums towards the advancement of public interest, including the safeguarding of freedom of the press and other freedoms such as the fundamental rights of humans.

Razdan has also won the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism for reporting from Jammu and Kashmir and north-eastern India and the Jammu and Kashmir State government has also awarded her for excellence in journalism. In 2017, she also authored a book titled Left, Right and Centre: The Idea of India.

IPI awarded the show for its “expose of the conspiracy to scuttle” the Kathua rape and murder case prob.

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“The award is for the expose of the conspiracy to scuttle probe into the heinous Kathua rape and murder, and a strong expose of the political hypocrisy across the political spectrum represented excellence in journalism…,” it said.

The jury included eminent personalities like the former Attorney General of India Soli Sorabjee who have collectively selected NDTV for the award. The award constitutes a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh, a trophy and a citation will be presented to NDTV at a function here next month.

Since the India chapter of the awards was instituted in 2003, the first recipient of the award was The Indian Express for its reporting of the Gujarat riots and its aftermath. This isn't the first time NDTV has won this award as in 2004 also it won this award for its expose of the baby-swapping racket in Hyderabad, and the corruption trail of the Telgi stamp scam. Namrata Ahuja of The Week also won this award last year along with Ritu Sarin for her “sustained work in the investigation of crimes, political assassinations, terrorism cases frauds and economic offences” throughout her career.

The jury included eminent personalities like the former Attorney General of India Soli Sorabjee who have collectively selected NDTV for the award.

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IPI was founded in 1950 in New York by a group of editors from 15 countries and it has grown to have members from around 120 countries today. It is a global organisation dedicated to the promotion and protection of press freedom and the improvement of journalism practices. The India chapter of the IPI is an active forum of editors, publishers and senior executives of newspapers, magazines and news agencies, all of whom are members of the International Press Institute, the statement said.

Picture credit: The FirstPost