RFA Uyghur Service reporter Shohret Hoshur has consistently delivered valuable, hard-to-obtain and trustworthy exclusive stories from Xinjiang Province in China, at great personal risk. His reporting on Xinjiang and the Uyghur nation has won consistent praise from China-based foreign reporters, who admire his access, his doggedness and his accuracy. Global media outlets cited his journalism throughout 2014 but particularly in late summer and early fall when tensions in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region escalated. These deadly incidents were either under-reported or completely ignored in Chinese state media, making RFA’s exclusive coverage even more important and sought after among audiences in China and among journalistic peers.
Radio Free Asia Uyghur reporter Shohret Hoshur’s brothers were detained and punished by Chinese authorities. Hoshur has been targeted in the past for his breaking and exclusive news coverage at RFA on the unrest and tensions in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Radio Free Asia Uyghur Service reporter Shohret Hoshur’s brothers were arrested on charges of “endangering state security” and “leaking state secrets” in China.
Voice of America reporter Ibrahim Ahmed is among the recipients of the 2015 David Burke Distinguished Journalism Award, announced December 16 in Washington. The awards honor the courage, integrity and professionalism of individuals in reporting the news on U.S. government international media.
Ahmed, a journalist with VOA’s Hausa Service, spent weeks traveling through Nigeria’s Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states during the height of Boko Haram terror attacks in early- 2015. The extremist group, now allied with ISIL, has killed or kidnapped thousands of Nigerians. Ahmed’s daily on-the-scene coverage in English and in his native Hausa language brought stories of survival and resistance to audiences on VOA digital platforms, and radio and television broadcasts across Africa and around the world. Ahmed faced considerable danger after extremists condemned his reporting, forcing him never to sleep in the same place twice while on the lengthy assignment.
“I feel that I have the obligation to bring the story to the world,” Ahmed said. “I was born and grew up in this part of Nigeria where, because of vicious attacks by Boko Haram, people are being killed and displaced, the economy is devastated.”
Ahmed’s comprehensive coverage of the country’s historic elections featured interviews with voters, party leaders, a former military ruler, the vice president, and Nigeria’s winning presidential candidate — Muhammadu Buhari. Ahmed also organized broadcast town hall meetings with youth leaders and election commission officials to discuss ways to prevent a reoccurrence of post-election violence in Kaduna state.
Quoting from the citation recognizing Ahmed’s service, Acting VOA Director Kelu Chao noted that Ibrahim Ahmed’s journalistic integrity exemplifies “dedication to the advancement of the cause of freedom and democracy.” She added, “I am impressed with Ibrahim’s courage and commitment to reporting on such a difficult subject. He literally risked his life to bring to a wide audience the human story of the devastation caused by these terrorists. His stories had great impact.”
Also honored with Burke Awards were the staff of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Azerbaijani Service Baku Bureau; Alhurra documentary producers Leila Bazzi, Pierre Jad and Georges Chawah of the Middle East Broadcasting Networks; Radio Free Asia Uyghur Service reporter Shohret Hoshur; and engineer Jose Alpizar of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting.
Voice of America reporter Ibrahim Ahmed is among the recipients of the 2015 David Burke Distinguished Journalism Award, announced December 16 in Washington. The awards honor the courage, integrity and professionalism of individuals in reporting the news on U.S. government international media.
Ahmed, a journalist with VOA’s Hausa Service, spent weeks traveling through Nigeria’s Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states during the height of Boko Haram terror attacks in early- 2015. The extremist group, now allied with ISIL, has killed or kidnapped thousands of Nigerians. Ahmed’s daily on-the-scene coverage in English and in his native Hausa language brought stories of survival and resistance to audiences on VOA digital platforms, and radio and television broadcasts across Africa and around the world. Ahmed faced considerable danger after extremists condemned his reporting, forcing him never to sleep in the same place twice while on the lengthy assignment.
“I feel that I have the obligation to bring the story to the world,” Ahmed said. “I was born and grew up in this part of Nigeria where, because of vicious attacks by Boko Haram, people are being killed and displaced, the economy is devastated.”
Ahmed’s comprehensive coverage of the country’s historic elections featured interviews with voters, party leaders, a former military ruler, the vice president, and Nigeria’s winning presidential candidate — Muhammadu Buhari. Ahmed also organized broadcast town hall meetings with youth leaders and election commission officials to discuss ways to prevent a reoccurrence of post-election violence in Kaduna state.
Quoting from the citation recognizing Ahmed’s service, Acting VOA Director Kelu Chao noted that Ibrahim Ahmed’s journalistic integrity exemplifies “dedication to the advancement of the cause of freedom and democracy.” She added, “I am impressed with Ibrahim’s courage and commitment to reporting on such a difficult subject. He literally risked his life to bring to a wide audience the human story of the devastation caused by these terrorists. His stories had great impact.”
Also honored with Burke Awards were the staff of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Azerbaijani Service Baku Bureau; Alhurra documentary producers Leila Bazzi, Pierre Jad and Georges Chawah of the Middle East Broadcasting Networks; Radio Free Asia Uyghur Service reporter Shohret Hoshur; and engineer Jose Alpizar of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting.
Voice of America reporter Ibrahim Ahmed is among the recipients of the 2015 David Burke Distinguished Journalism Award, announced December 16 in Washington. The awards honor the courage, integrity and professionalism of individuals in reporting the news on U.S. government international media.
The Broadcasting Board of Governors will present the 2015 David Burke Awards in a ceremony at its headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The Broadcasting Board of Governors has announced the winners of the 2015 David Burke Distinguished Journalism Awards for exceptional integrity, bravery, and originality in reporting.
Radio Free Asia Uyghur Service reporter Shohret Hoshur continues to wait to hear the fate of his two brothers, Shawket and Rexim Hoshur, both of whom have been arrested on charges of “endangering state security” and “leaking state secrets” in China. The charges are widely thought to be retribution by Chinese authorities for Mr. Hoshur’s breaking coverage of both escalating ethnic Uyghur-Han tensions and the Chinese government’s crackdown on the mostly Muslim minority in the country’s far west. Mr. Hoshur’s reporting has been criticized by Beijing.
On July 1, the Broadcasting Board of Governors met at the headquarters of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Prague, Czech Republic.
