Come October 8, 2018 and the annual commemoration and awards for war correspondents, instituted since 1994, will begin this year showcasing and Exhibition on Afghan Lives. But this year it will be extra special because India’s feisty and courageous journalist, Gauri Lankesh will find honour and mention here.
Image: cjp.org.in
The Bayeux-Calvados Awards for war correspondents (Prix Bayeux-Calvados des correspondants de guerre) is an annual prize awarded since 1994, by the city of Bayeux and the General Council of Calvados. Its goal is to pay tribute to journalists who work in dangerous conditions to allow the public access to information about war.
Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF), a partner to the award has informed Ms Kavitha Lankesh that her sister, Ms Gauri Lankesh will be honoured in a new stele that will be inaugurated in this year’s memorial commemorating reporters killed on duty. This stele covers part of last year, and Gauri Lankesh’s name will be on it. Ms Gauri Lankesh was brutally gunned down on the night of September 5, 2017.
There will be tributes paid to her and invitees will speak about her work. Ms Kavitha Lankesh has been invited to attend and pay her own personal tribute to Gauri.
The family of Ms Gauri Lankesh, while deeply grieving her loss, one year to the date of her brutal killing, is overwhelmed at this continued recognition of her contribution and her work.
About the Award
The award was launched as part of the fiftieth anniversary of the Normandy landings. It is awarded in Bayeux, one of the first French cities to be liberated in the Second World War, in a conference that includes a book fair, a media forum, discussion evenings, and youth-oriented events.
The award has had twelve categories since 1994: Daily news, Magazine, Photojournalism, Radio, Television, Large Format Television, Web journalism, Young reporter, Lower NormandySecondary School Students’ Prize, Ouest-France – Jean Marin Prize (Print journalism), Public Prize.
In 2012 it was Javier Espinosa, El Mundo who was recognised for Print journalism, the Photojournalism prize went to Aris Messinis, AFP, the Radio Prize to Jeremy Bowen, BBC News, the Television prize to Nic Robertson, CNN, the Large Format Television: Mathieu Mabin, France 24, the Web journalism prize to David Wood, Huffington Post, the Young reporter prize to Ed Ou, Getty Images, the Lower Normandy Secondary School Students’ Prize: Mathieu Mabin, France 24, the Ouest-France – Jean Marin Prize (print journalism) to Rémy Ourdan, Le Monde and the Public Prize: Manu Brabo, of AP.