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JMSC Alumni Winners at Human Rights Awards

JMSC alumni scooped a major award and three merits at the 15th Annual Human Rights Press Awards, co-organised by the Hong Kong Journalists Association, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club and Amnesty International Hong Kong.

Jim Laurie, JMSC Director of Broadcasting and Judge at the Awards

More than 230 entries competed in a wide range of categories, which covered English and Chinese language articles, broadcasts and also photographic entries.

The stories, which were all published or aired in 2010, covered issues in Hong Kong, China and across the entire Asian region.

The awards were announced on April 16, 2011 and were given at the discretion of judging panels that included well known journalists, documentary makers, photographers, members of press and human rights organisations, and university professors, including the JMSC’s Director of Broadcasting Programme, Jim Laurie.

“I judged the English language entries and we received dozens of excellent entries with reporting on China, Myanmar and Vietnam among the most riveting,” said Laurie. “The field was very competitive.”

Ng Tze-Wei (MJ 2004) won an award in the English Language Category for General News for her article about mainland lawyers written for Hong Kong’s English language newspaper, the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

Ng also won a merit for a newspaper feature about AIDS activism on the mainland, also written for the SCMP.

Law Wing Chung (MJ 2003) won a merit for a newspaper feature for Hong Kong’s Chinese language newspaper, Ming Pao. The judges commended his story about the Hong Kong government barring entry to the spouse of a Cuban national.

Ivan Broadhead (MJ 2006) received a merit in the Newspaper Feature category for his story for the SCMP headlined Losing the Plot. The story was about how Aboriginals in northern Australia risk losing their traditional lands due to the actions of a green movement led by the late wildlife expert Steve Irwin’s wife, Terri, and the possibility of economic salvation from a Chinese mining company.

“It was very gratifying to receive a mention at the awards,” said Broadhead. “The feature was extremely interesting to research and unusual, in the sense that the greens really are the bad guys in this story. I think that’s why it was noticed.”

“For fifteen years the Human Rights Press Awards sponsored by Amnesty International and the Foreign Correspondents Club of Hong Kong have recognised the achievements of reporters across Asia — both in English and Chinese,” said Laurie.

“In a region where investigative reporting is strictly limited in at least a half dozen countries, encouraging the work of journalists who delve into human rights abuses is particularly important,” he continued.