
A new generation of journalists shining a light on uneasy truths.
The annual Thomson Foundation Young Journalist Award, part of the UK Foreign Press Association Awards, encourages the submission of stories that spark public debate, and help to foster change.
This year the competition attracted 236 entries from 60 qualifying countries - that's double the number received last year: evidence that the scope and impact of the award is truly growing.
The selection of the shortlist follows days of deliberations by the Thomson Foundation judges.
The chosen finalists' stories captured the many aspects of society and change around the world.
Mariana Motrunych rattled elite business and government circles in Ukraine when she reported on the senior officials benefitting from public money in her news reports. It was a similar story in Bosnia & Herzegovina where journalist Nino Bilajac exposed the corrupt bonds between business and politics.
Prince Appiah fearlessly explored the challenges faced by the gay community in Ghana. In this West African country, homosexual activity is seen as unnatural and, as such, is illegal. While the documentary opened up a dialogue with gay advocacy groups and Ghanaian human rights organisations, others made their disapproval clear and the second part to the documentary could not be broadcast.
Humanising the victims stories In Nigeria, Hannah Ojo told the story of the trafficking gangs using false promises of legitimate employment and prosperity in Europe to traffic young women into prostitution in brothels in Libya.
Let this kind of investigative journalism continue until there is a positive response from the policymakers, was the response of a Nigerian doctor and commentator to Babatunde Ajaja's work identifying the many trainee doctors in Nigeria having to beg for all-important training contracts, despite having a glittering academic record. Desperate and disillusioned, many leave the profession.
In the face of horror, citizen journalist Waad al-Kateab filmed as her husband, a doctor, tended to the endless casualties, the daily chaos and devastation of the war in eastern Aleppo, Syria. Now living safely in Turkey, al-Kateab bravely humanised the victims' stories and chronicled their pain without intruding.
Maham Javaid of Pakistan reported on the psychological consequences of terrorist attacks in Pakistan after a bomb ripped through the city of Lahore in early 2017. The agonising details of the terrorist attack, the visions of lethal violence, left many Pakistanis caught up in the attack with an indelible change in behaviour, tinged by extreme fear and anxiety.
In a squat, drab building in Ukraine, Katarina Sergatskova interviewed a Russian-speaking Islamic State fighter who escaped from Syria after becoming disillusioned with the militant group. Unable to return home to Russia for fear of arrest, he was able to obtain a passport under another name and fly from Istanbul to Ukraine. The story, revealing the ease with which Russian former jihadis are settling in Ukraine, surprised many in Ukraine and was followed up by Sky News.
Dorcas Wangira's documentary on the deforesting of Kakamega Forest, the only tropical rainforest in Kenya, was a trending topic for more than 10 hours on Twitter and drew national attention; unusual for an environmental story. In rural Bihar, India, Arushi Bedi's report on the deaths of children during a vaccination drive led to public uproar. The government soon initiated a pilot programme to monitor the temperature for storing vaccines whilst being transported.
The response to this year's competition has been exceptional. We applaud the immense bravery, enterprise and skill of all the finalists.
Nigel Baker, chief executive, Thomson Foundation
Also in Kenya, Merab Macleans highlighted the painful reality of drug abuse through the story of a single mother of two. Her report Save Me From Me' caught the attention of the Kenyan government who reached out to offer support to the mother and her children.
Oluwamayowa Tijani provided a harrowing account of the forgotten children in Nigeria's fight against Boko Haram, describing the neglect and inadequate medical care at the federal hospital that was supposed to treat them through a victims' support fund. Meanwhile, Piyumi Fonseka raised the issue of the Indian fishermen unintentionally finding themselves in neighbouring Sri Lankas waters and being shot at by the Sri Lankan Navy or imprisoned.
Casting a light on important issues Nigel Baker, chief executive of the Thomson Foundation, said: The response to this year's competition has been exceptional. We applaud the immense bravery, enterprise and skill of all the finalists. Each has cast a light on important issues or events which otherwise would have gone uncovered.
Each of the shortlisted entrants will receive a certificate from Thomson Foundation commending them on the high standard of their work, and will have the opportunity to participate in the foundation's digital learning platform, Journalism Now.
The shortlist will be judged by a panel at the UK Foreign Press Association, with the three Young Journalist finalists announced in October.
The overall winner will be revealed on the night of the awards ceremony in London in November.
Related content
Competition reopens: 2017 Young Journalist Award Thomson Foundation launches its search for the best Young Journalist for 2017
Yousra Elbagir is the 2016 Young Journalist winner I want to move past the overworked images of famine, poverty and war in Africa
Former Young Journalist winner influences change in law Im so happy. We want to work towards a just world for girls and women
Sara Loane Communications Manager
About: Sara is responsible for the creation and delivery of engaging and effective messages, campaigns, pub
Most recent headlines
13/03/2025
Every time airborne law enforcement (ALE) teams fly, they expect their equipment to perform. Whether airborne units are conducting support for ground teams, bor...
13/03/2025
Sunday February 9 saw the annual return of the US' biggest television event, the Super Bowl LIX. Jamie McCombs, Fox Sports Audio Consultant / Sr. Audio capt...
13/03/2025
On Sunday March 2, stars across the film industry gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 97th Academy Awards. Production Sound Mixer Paul Sandweis...
13/03/2025
WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications will feature its new StageLink family of smart edge devices, Smart Audio and Mixing Engine (SAME) and Virtual Smart Pan...
13/03/2025
TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring ...
13/03/2025
DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage P...
13/03/2025
FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Lif...
13/03/2025
CTIA, the wireless industry association, has named former FCC Chairman Aji Pai as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1. He replaces Mere...
13/03/2025
he National Association of Broadcasters is urging the FCC to end its investigation of that controversial CBS interview with Kamala Harris stating there is no ...
13/03/2025
MIAMI CBS News & Stations continues to expand its use of augmented and virtual reality technologies with the planned launch of an augmented reality/virtual real...
13/03/2025
Srividhya Srinivasan, co-founder and chief customer success & innovation Officer at Amagi, tells TVBEurope how staying ahead of the latest trends is essential f...
13/03/2025
WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...
13/03/2025
SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...
13/03/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...
13/03/2025
TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
13/03/2025
Rohde & Schwarz launches R&S NRP140TWG(N) thermal power sensor: A new benchmark ...
13/03/2025
We asked the questions, analysed the answers and now we're excited to share the results of the fifth edition of the ICG Marketing Survey.
Our 2025 survey p...
13/03/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. - March 13, 2025 Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced a breakthrough in video streaming innovation with the launch of new origin capabilitie...
13/03/2025
Haivision Showcases Mission-Critical Video Solutions at SOF Week 2025
Haivision's video wall systems, ISR technology, and DoDIN APL-certified video distri...
13/03/2025
Company Leads the Way with New Software-Based Production Platform, 12G Switcher,...
13/03/2025
A new Apple Immersive concert experience, Metallica, is coming to Apple Vision Pro this Friday, March 14. Filmed in Mexico City during the sold-out second-year ...
13/03/2025
Here is your host, Patrick Kielty!
Shake your Shamrocks, Patrick Kielty will be...
13/03/2025
This St. Patrick's weekend, RT invites you to celebrate all things Irish, showcasing the very best of Irish sport, entertainment and live coverage from the...
13/03/2025
What's next in AI is at GTC 2025. Not only the technology, but the people and ideas that are pushing AI forward - creating new opportunities, novel solution...
13/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
By combining T-Mobile's robust network, Thal...
13/03/2025
Bundle up - GeForce NOW is bringing a flurry of Blizzard titles to its ever-expanding library.
Prepare to weather epic gameplay in the cloud, tackling the genr...
13/03/2025
AI is leveling up the world's most beloved games, as the latest advancements...
13/03/2025
PC game modding is massive, with over 5 billion mods downloaded annually. Mods p...
12/03/2025
O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...
12/03/2025
Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...
12/03/2025
Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...
12/03/2025
Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...
12/03/2025
More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report
NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...
12/03/2025
GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...
12/03/2025
BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....
12/03/2025
LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...
12/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....
12/03/2025
Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
High-capacity switch enhances existi...
12/03/2025
DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...
12/03/2025
SVT Leverages Ateliere Live to Pioneer 100% Software-Defined Production at Rally...
12/03/2025
Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations A total of $17,000 will be distributed among the Boston-based nonprofits.
By
Madd...
12/03/2025
TVBEuropes Jenny Priestley sits down with new SMPTE president Richard Welsh to discuss his aims for the organisation going forward, its efforts to attract a you...
12/03/2025
The new process has significantly enhanced operational efficiencies, with automation freeing up creators to concentrate on higher value tasks
By Matthew Corrig...
12/03/2025
Jellyfish Pictures, which has offices in London and Sheffield, said it has been battling hard in the face of strong headwinds over the last 12 months
By Jenny ...
12/03/2025
Visit Booth #W2213 to Experience the Latest in AI-Driven Content Discovery and Workflow Automation
Bitcentral, a leader in media workflow solutions, is set to ...
12/03/2025
CHICAGO Jeff Lilly has been named WGN-TV director of technology effective March 17, 2025, according to Ric Harris, WGN-TV vice president and general manager....
12/03/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. A new study from LG Ad Solutions indicates that consumers want more features that would allow them to shop for products on the connected T...
12/03/2025
BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the Video Services Forum (VSF) will once again present...
12/03/2025
PHILADELPHIA Comcast announced that it has upgraded Xfinity Internet speeds for more than 20 million customers for no additional cost....