About the Kurt Schork Memorial Fund
The Kurt Schork Memorial Fund was set up in memory of American journalist Kurt Schork, who was killed in a military ambush while reporting in Sierra Leone in 2000. It exists to keep the world aware of the debt we owe to brave journalists who engage in courageous reporting of conflict, corruption, injustice and human rights transgressions.
The annual Kurt Schork Awards in International Journalism honour the work of freelance journalists, local reporters and news fixers in developing countries or nations in transition, whose work is often poorly paid, mostly unsung and frequently fraught with danger.
2023 WINNERS OF THE KURT SCHORK AWARDS IN INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISM ANNOUNCED
We are delighted to announce the three winners of the Kurt Schork Awards in International Journalism, who have reported on conflict in Iraq, Syria and Ukraine, and documented the persecution of Muslim minorities in China’s Xinjiang territories. Their inspiring stories amplify the human impacts of war, as well as the lived experiences of repressed ethnic minorities.
Now in their 22nd year, the Awards honour excellence in courageous reporting of conflict, corruption, human rights transgressions and injustice. They are split into three categories, recognising freelance journalists, local reporters and news fixers. Each winner will receive a cash prize of $5,000 and has been invited to participate in a panel discussion at the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s flagship annual event, Trust Conference, set to be held in London on 19 – 20 October 2023.
MEET OUR PREVIOUS WINNERS
Recognising journalists from across the globe
Winners of the Kurt Schork Awards hail from all around the world. Click on the map to find out more about our awardees and their brave work.
Amindeh Blaise Atabong Winner of the 2019 Local Reporter Award for his work in documenting the violent split between Cameroons English and French speaking
communities
Fisayo Soyombo won the Kurt Schork Local Reporter Award for his undercover investigation on Nigeria’s criminal justice system. Soyombo spent 13 days in detention to experience the widespread corruption first-hand - involving the police, the courts and the prison officials
Shah Meer Baloch, a freelance journalist from Pakistan, won the award for his reporting on child labour in the country’s coal mines, the persecution of the Kalasha community and systemic government negligence in the national polio vaccination programme. Baloch is recognised for taking considerable risks to bring these stories to light.
Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares won the 2021 Local Reporter Award for his investigations into extra-judicial killings involving military and civil police in Rio de Janeiro. The judges recognised his “meticulous research, sourcing and journalism” on an under-reported and complex issue, which exposed the byzantine bureaucracy that enabled such corruption and impunity to flourish.
The 2021 News Fixer Award went to Khabat Abbas from Syria. Through her local knowledge, extensive network of contacts and journalism skills, Abbas secured multiple exclusives for international media which made headlines, including an interview with three British women who had joined the Islamic State.
Jason Motlagh, an Iranian-American journalist, won the 2021 Kurt Schork Freelance Award for his reporting on Afghanistan. Motlagh’s stories provide valuable insight into the realities on the ground prior to the withdrawal of U.S. and coalition forces in August, while his investigative reporting on civilian casualties and spotlighting of threats to Afghan media workers starkly reveal the human cost of war.
Kamiran Sadoun, a Kurdish news fixer from Syria, won the award for his work on the frontlines with international journalists covering conflict in the country. Sadoun has also been instrumental in documenting the suffering left behind after the collapse of the Islamic State.
The 2019 News Fixer Award went to Iraqi news fixer Sangar Khaleel, who has worked with journalists from major news outlets covering the rise and fall of ISIS in Iraq. The judges applauded his courage and dedication in the field. Yet what stood out to them was his “empathy and genuine care for those he meets and a strong sense of purpose in giving a voice to the victims of war”, combined with his unrelenting “dedication to follow up on people and places when most media have moved on”.
Simona Foltyn, an Austrian journalist based in the UAE, has won the Freelance category award for her reporting about the war in South Sudan The judges agreed that her stories stood out and ‘were impressively detailed, powerful as well as fearless and compassionate.’
Simona Foltyn, an Austrian journalist based in the UAE, has won the Freelance category award for her reporting about the war in South Sudan The judges agreed that her stories stood out and ‘were impressively detailed, powerful as well as fearless and compassionate.’
Iona Craig, an Irish journalist based in London, has won the Freelance category award for her undercover reporting of the most under-reported story in the Middle East for Al Jazeera America and The Intercept.
Clair won the Freelance category award for her courageous stories about the Ebola outbreak published by Foreign Policy magazine, Newsweek and the New York Times.
Ekaterina Sergatskova won for her steely determination and endless curiosity amid great danger in the fighting in Eastern Ukraine. Her reports, which highlighted the human impact of the crisis through accounts from ordinary citizens, were published by Focus.ua and Esquire Ukraine.
Kenneth R. Rosen, an American journalist, is the winner of the Kurt Schork Freelance Award for his multifaceted investigative work.
Kyaw Ye Lynn from Myanmar is the winner of the 2022 News Fixer Award. In the wake of the military coup – and despite the junta’s tightened media restrictions for international reporters – Lynn worked in dangerous conditions to track down sources, verify information and recommend story angles to international news outlets that were covering the unfolding events from afar.
Hisham Arafat - 2023 Kurt Schork News Fixer Award Winner
Syrian Kurdish journalist Hisham Arafat is the winner of the 2023 News Fixer Award. Since 2011, Arafat has been actively covering the conflicts in Syria and Iraq, collaborating with both local and international news agencies and media outlets. Utilising his vast network and understanding of the local context, he was able to secure rare access to former Islamic State fighters held in a crowded prison guarded by the Kurds.
Léa Polverini - 2023 Kurt Schork Freelance Award Winner
Léa Polverini, a French journalist, is the winner of the 2023 Kurt Schork Freelance Award for her in-depth series looking at Muslim minorities subject to persecution, including re-education camps, torture and forced sterilisation, in China’s Xinjiang territories. Léa travelled across the South-West of Kazakhstan to document the stories of survivors.
Asami Terajima – 2023 Local Reporter Award Winner
Asami Terajima from Japan is the winner of the Local Reporter Award for her reporting from Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region. Her reporting shines a light on the brutal realities of war through the eyes of Ukrainian soldiers and medics.
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