Former French President Francois Hollande attends the Shifa Gardi International Award ceremony in Erbil

PRESS RELEASE

On the second anniversary of the death of journalist Shifa Gardi, Rudaw Media Network and the Shifa Gardi International Award Committee will present this year’s award to a female war correspondent.


Former French President Francois Hollande is the keynote speaker of the February 25 award ceremony in Erbil, capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.


High-level local and Iraqi officials, foreign diplomats and media organizations will be at the ceremony.

Rudaw journalist and news anchor Shifa Gardi died on February 25, 2017 while on duty as a reporter in Mosul.


Rudaw has established the Shifa Gardi International Award in her honor and as a tribute to all journalists who have died in the line of duty.

Members of the Shifa Gardi International Award Committee are professional journalists who have greatly contributed to journalism in their own fields and deeply value the work of war reporters.

Members of the 2019 committee:

Rob Beynon: A highly experienced TV executive. He has managed news channels and programmes for the BBC, ITN, Sky News, Bloomberg, and CNBC.

Jane Arraf: NPR international reporter. She has covered Iraq since 1991 and she was CNN's bureau chief in Baghdad.

Adrian Wells: Managing Director at ENEX with extensive track-record of working in the broadcast and digital media industry. Strong business development skills, project management, start-up TV, broadcast and digital journalism.

Joyce Karam: Washington Correspondent for The National and Adjunct Professor at George Washington University.

Ako Mohammed: Founder and current CEO of Rudaw Media Network. A seasoned journalist with years of experience covering the Middle East.

RUDAW MEDIA NETWORK AND SHIFA GARDI INTERNATIONAL AWARD COMMITTEE