Al Jazeera wins two prizes at One World Media Awards

Al Jazeera English has won two awards at the One World Media Awards in London, for Best Digital Media Award and Women’s Rights in Africa Awards.

Pirate Fishing, which was based on a People & Power report by Al Jazeera’s Juliana Ruhfus, won the Best Digital Award.

Pirate Fishing was cited for its “highly engaging piece of digital storytelling and current affairs journalism”.

The report used documentary footage as part of an investigative journalism game, allowing players to get close to an issue that they may never have engaged with.

Film-maker Rosa Rogers’ Casablanca Calling, which was an Al Jazeera Witness production, won the inaugural Women’s Rights in Africa Award.

Filmed over two-and-a-half years, Casablanca Calling is an intimate portrait of three Moroccan women – Hannane, Bouchra and Karima – working as official Muslim leaders within the community.

According to the jury, Casablanca Calling was “was an original, powerful film about women making a difference to their communities and a positive portrayal of Islam”.

Al Jazeera had two nominations in this category with the second nomination of Small Small Thing: The Olivia Zinnah Story, another Witness production.

Giles Trendle, acting managing director of Al Jazeera English, said “both awards highlight Al Jazeera’s determination for storytelling through innovation; telling the human story is at the heart of everything we do”.

Al Jazeera had seven nominations, with six of the seven nominations for programming set in Africa.

Other nominations included the Best Documentary Award for Miners Shot Down. Inside Kenya’s Death Squad, which was an Al Jazeera Investigative Unit production was up for a best Television Award.

Africa Investigates: Uganda’s Temple of Injustice was nominated for a Corruption Award, while Al Jazeera America’s Matt Sandy was nominated for the New Voice Award for a young film-maker or journalist working in any medium, who has made a substantial contribution to international journalism during the year.

One World Media is a non-profit organisation that has been supporting international journalism and promoting media coverage of global issues for over 25 years.