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Young Journalists from Balochistan win Agahi Awards 2017 in their respective categories

ISLAMABAD: Three young journalists from Balochistan received Agahi Awards 2017 as journalists were recognised for their work in more than 40 categories. Yousaf Ajab Baloch, founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Balochistan Point received award as the best journalists of the year  2017 in category of Anti-corruption, whereas Murtza Zaib Zehri  was awarded  in category of Competitiveness and Zareef Baloch from   Haal Ahwal  received award in  reporting Health issues.

The AGAHI Awards recognizes the efforts of journalists and the media community every year. The best of the media industry striving for ethical journalism from all across Pakistan were recognized as Journalists of the Year in their respective categories today at the Pakistan National Council of Arts in Islamabad.

Ethical and quality journalism enhances collective consciousness of a society that builds a nation’s identity and purpose by promoting free, responsible and democratic utilization of the media. The AGAHI Awards acknowledges journalists’ professional commitment to promoting accountability for safeguarding public interest. The objective of AGAHI Awards is to recognize and appreciate the best journalistic practices in Pakistan, creating a healthy competition within the media, encouraging ethical and professional reporting practices.

Leading opinion makers, senior journalists, policy makers, diplomats, ambassadors, academicians, leading professionals from the media industry and representatives from think tanks attended the award ceremony.

The ceremony was hosted by Saima Shirazi and Shamoon Hashmi. This year AGAHI Awards received more than 3000 nominations from all over the country in 40 different categories from print, television, radio and online media. The AGAHI Awards received an overwhelming response from the journalists’ community – reaching more than 6 million Pakistanis through social media and almost 1 million through SMS for the Peoples’ Choice Awards categories: “Favorite News Channel of the Year” and “Current Affairs Anchors of the Year” in Pakistan. Big data and sentiments analysis was deployed to measure the responses for the people’s choice award categories.

Puruesh Chaudhary, President AGAHI and the co-founder of the AGAHI Awards while giving the welcome note said, “This year AGAHI Awards celebrates responsibilities’; in 2017 as the nation marks its 70th year of independence – we should recognize the tremendous effort of the journalist community in the creation of this country, this is the strength of free media.

Amir Jahangir, CEO Mishal Pakistan and co-founder, AGAHI Awards, in his welcome address said, “Pakistan has completed its 15th year of electronic media deregulation in the country. AGAHI Awards provides that pivot for media to reflect on the professionalism and credible journalism which creates value towards the public.” He further said, “We are happy that AGAHI Awards has created that platform for the journalists to be that voice of accountability in Pakistan and beyond.”

Speaking at the occasion, Waqar Ahmad Head of Corporate Affairs, Nestle Pakistan said, “Media has an extremely important role to play in raising awareness on Pakistan’s nutrition and water challenge. By adopting a collective approach, Nestle Pakistan has taken a lead to promote water stewardship locally. We are also committed to addressing the grave challenge of hidden hunger by providing greater access (in both urban and rural Pakistan) to Iron, Zinc, Vitamin A and D fortified products to our consumers. By partnering with AGAHI Awards in the categories of Water Stewardship and Hidden Hunger, we would like to recognise journalists who have raised and identified these key issues being faced by Pakistan”.

Yousaf Ajab Baloch, Editor-in-Chief of The Balochistan Point is receiving award as the best journalist of the year.

AGAHI Awards recognizes ‘accountability’ as the key currency for public trust in this evolving attention economy, where media becomes the platform to promote social values and transparency. AGAHI Awards is the recognition of journalists who have shown personal integrity and professional excellence to make Pakistan a more informed nation.

The AGAHI Awards 2017 Recognized the following “Journalists of the Year” in the following categories:

  • Kashif Abbasi, ARY News (Most Credible Anchor of the Year),  
  • Shazaib Khanzada, GEO News (Peoples’ Choice Awards: Favorite Current Affairs Anchor – Male),
  • Ayesha Baksh, GEO News (Peoples’ Choice Awards: Favorite Current Affairs Anchor – Female),
  • ARY News (Peoples’ Choice Awards: Favorite News Channel of the Year),
  • Zara Hut Kay, DAWN Media Group (Jury’s Choice for the Current Affairs Program of the Year)
  • Mazhar Nisar Sheikh PTV World/PBC(Newscaster of the Year)
  • Hassan Raza, Dunya News Network (Investigative Journalists of the Year),
  • Islam Gul Afridi, Akhbar-e-Khayber (Agriculture)
  • Yousaf Ajab Baloch, Balochistan Point
    (Anti-Corruption)
  • Adil Pervez, GEO News (Business & Finance)
  • Shabina Faraz, Express (Climate Change)
  • Murtaza Zaib, VOA Urdu (Competitiveness)
  • Rehan Muhammad, Tribal Post (Conflict)
  • Adil Pervez, GEO News (Corporate Social Responsibility)
  • Raja Kamran, DAWN Media Group (CPEC)
  • Naimat Khan, Friday Times (Creating Shared Value)
  • Sana Jamal, Gulf News (Culture & Tourism)
  • Usman Hanif, Pakistan Today (Economy)
  • Abdul Salam Afridi, News Lens (Education)
  • Shazia Hassan, Dawn Media Group (Energy)
  • Fouzia Zeb, 92 News (Entrepreneurship)
  • Naimat Khan, AF-KAR Affairs (Extremism and Terrorism)
  • Saadat Hassan, Regional Rapport
    (Foreign Policy)
  • Saadat Hassan, IRAS (Foresight and Futures)
  • Rizwana Naqvi, DAWN.com (Governance)
  • Zareef Balouch, Haal Ahwal (Health)
  • Syed Babar Ali, Express Tribune
    (Human Rights)
  • Sana Jamal, Gulf News (Information Communication Technology)
  • Zahid Gill, GEO TV (Infotainment)
  • Mahrukh Sarwar, MIT Technology Review (Innovative Journalism)
  • Syed Babar Ali, Express (Media Ethics)
  • Syed Miqdad Mehdi, The Nation (Nutrition)
  • Hasham Cheema, DAWN Media Group (Open Government)
  • Zoral Khurram, Express Tribune
    (Photo Journalism – Print)
  • Narendar Kumar, Express Tribune
    (Video Journalism – Television)
  • Sana Ejaz, News Lens (Sexual & Reproductive Health Rights – SRHR)
  • Arsalan Sheikh, DAWN Media Group (Sports)
  • Syed Muhammad Abu Bakar, The News International (Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs)
  • Naeem Sahoutara, KBR, Jakarta
    (South Asia Bridge Initiative – SABI)
  • Abdul Salam Afridi, News Lens
    (Vocational Training & Technical Education)
  • Samiullah Randhawa, Pakistan Today
    (Water Stewardship)

 

AGAHI and Mishal in collaboration with multiple stakeholders jointly nominate national and international leading opinion-makers, development experts, media gurus and knowledge professionals to be part of the judges’ panel to evaluate the entries.

Inaugurated on March 28th, 2012, the AGAHI Awards are Pakistan’s first ever journalism awards recognizing the best journalists in more than 40 different journalism thematic beats. Through this initiative, AGAHI and Mishal Pakistan, in collaboration with leading press clubs across the country, local and international media development bodies, academia, regulatory authorities and the private sector, have been playing an instrumental role in promoting media diversity.

The AGAHI Awards are the most sought-after journalism recognition in Pakistan. The Awards have been the foremost development initiative for media and journalism in the country. The awards have identified some of the most talented and diligent journalists in the industry. The AGAHI Awards winners have now acquired decision-making and leadership positions across the media industry for “Shaping the Future of Journalism” in Pakistan.

 

The AGAHI Awards were co-founded by Mishal Pakistan and AGAHI. The evaluation methodology and selection criteria of the awards have been designed in collaboration with the Center for Internet and Media Ethics (CIME) and on the pillars of Media Development Indicators of UNESCO, with input from the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

Staff Reporter

Published in The Balochistan Point on December 9, 2017

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