SORGUL ŞEXO

Qamishlo- The Mazlum Bagok Prize is an annual journalism award, given by the Union of Free Media (Kurdish: Yekîtiya Ragihandina Azad-YRA) to mark the Kurdish Journalism Day celebrated every year on April 22. Submissions are open for the 2022-2023 Mazlum Barog Journalism Prize between March 25 and April 5. The union has already published the submission requirements on its official website.

The winners will receive their awards on April 22, Kurdish Journalism Day. Mazlum Bagok, a Kurdish journalist working for the Peoples‘ Defence Units (YPG), was killed in an ISIS attack near Mosul on September 28, 2014. Mazlum Bagok is considered as the first defender of freedom of expression in Rojava Kurdistan. YRA Co-chair Malva Elî spoke to NuJINHA about the 2022-2023 Mazlum Bagok Journalism Prize.

 ‘Journalists are the voice of society’

Wishing a happy Kurdish Journalism Day to all journalists, Malva Elî said, “Our union gives the Mazlum Barog Journalism Prize every year. Mazlum Bagok and dozens of journalists sacrificed their lives to report the truth. The aim of the prize is to develop the spirit of competition among journalists, particularly among Kurdish journalists. Prizes are given to journalists in order to evaluate their works. Journalists show their works thanks to prizes and competitions. Journalists are the voice of society.”

‘We wanted to open a special space to women’

Noting that they have five commissions for the Mazlum Barog Journalism Prize, Malva Elî said, “We have five commissions to evaluate the works of journalists. The journalists writing articles, series of articles, analysis in Kurdish and Arabic, photojournalists, radio journalists can register for the prize. The deadline for the submission is April 5. We are looking forward to seeing their works, reports. This year, we wanted to open a special space to women journalists. Because, women journalists have made the struggle and resistance of women heard around the world. If women all around the world talk about the struggle of Kurdish women today, it is thanks to women journalists. This year, we have reserved a special committee to evaluate the works of women journalists so that women’s efforts will not be hidden, ignored.”

Journalists will receive their awards on April 22

The winners of the 2022-2023 Mazlum Bagok Journalism Prize will receive their awards on April 22, the Kurdish Journalism Day. “We hope the journalists who deserve the awards receive them. For us, the Mazlum Barog Journalism Prize is one of the most spiritual prizes.”