Community | February 16, 2010 | 13 comments

Neda video wins Polk journalism award

source: http://www.brooklyn.liu.edu/polk/press/2009.html

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It's the first time the prestigious Polk award has been given in anonymity and the first award for videography. From their site (http://www.brooklyn.liu.edu/polk/press/2009.html):

"The George Polk Award for Videography will recognize the efforts of the people responsible for recording the death of 26-year-old Neda Agha-Soltan at a June protest in Tehran, Iran, and uploading the video to the Internet. Ms. Agha-Soltan reportedly was shot by a pro-government militiaman. The video, which shows the woman collapsing to the ground and being attended to by several men as she lay dying on the street, became a rallying point for the reformist opposition in Iran after it was broadcast over the Internet. Seen by millions as it spread virally across the Web, the images quickly gained the attention of international media."

Is it representative of the death of professional journalism? I don't think so. It was professional journalists who put this video clip into context for us. Who told Neda Agha Soltan's story. Who have done exemplary and dogged work documenting on-going brutality from the Iranian regime.

This award, however, is a recognition of how many of the most powerful and influential moments and images in journalism today come not from professional journalists but from ordinary people in extraordinary situations.

Warning: This video is extremely graphic.
  1. groups:
    Community,   Videos,   current cult,   News_Featured
  2. tags:
    Iran,  Collective Journalism,  Journalism,  Protests,  6 more
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