IWPR Editor Wins FPA Prize
(07-May-08)
IWPR Editor Wins FPA Prize
(07-May-08)
Mariwan will receive his prize - which recognises journalistic excellence amongst international students studying in the US - in a ceremony in New York City on May 13. The keynote speaker will be celebrated investigative reporter Carl Bernstein.
Mariwan began his journalism career as an IWPR translator in 2004, developing his reporting skills by attending IWPR training sessions in basic journalism skills, economics reporting, editing and radio reporting. He was later appointed IWPR Kurdish syndication coordinator, ensuring that IWPR stories were regularly republished in the Iraqi Kurdish press. Mariwan then served as Kurdish editor and trainer, and was named Iraq editor in 2007. As Iraq editor, Mariwan edits all of IWPR's correspondents in the country.
"My work at IWPR made me certain that I wanted to pursue journalism," he said.
Mariwan is completing a master's degree at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he used his experience with IWPR to extensively research the state of Iraqi media.
He surveyed 400 Iraqi journalists about their careers and the challenges they face. The research is believed to be the first major academic survey of Iraqi journalists. A paper that Mariwan co-authored on the Iraqi media, Emerging Media in Peril: Iraqi Journalism in the Post-Saddam Hussein Era, will be presented at the International Communication Association conference in Montreal this month and will be published in the journal Journalism Studies in June.
Selection of articles by Mariwan Hama-Saeed:
- Locals commemorating twentieth anniversary of chemical attacks recall past broken promises.
- Threat against journalist is latest in wave of intimidation of the Kurdish press.
- Equality and democracy in higher education must be practiced, not preached.
- The Turkish army makes war-like noises and Sunni extremists stage hit-and-run raids along the border with Iran.
- Equality and democracy in higher education must be practiced, not preached.
- Now that Saddam has been convicted, Iraq's other criminals - its corrupt officials, militia leaders and terrorists - should be tried too.
- Saddam and his henchmen go on trial for their role in notorious military operation nearly 20 years ago.
- In a cash-based society, convincing Kurds to trust their savings to banks is still an uphill battle.
- Stalled economic development has stirred unrest in this once-flourishing agricultural town.
