18 Jul 2011
Amman, 18 July 2011
Princess Rym Ali has been awarded the “Best International Journalist” prize at the 32nd Ischia International Journalism Awards Ceremony, one of the most prestigious journalism awards in Italy, held annually on the island of Ischia.
This award was granted in recognition for establishing the Jordan Media Institute (JMI),following her former career as a journalist and correspondent for major broadcasting networks including CNN, BBC, UPITN, Bloomberg and Radio Monte Carlo.
Italian Vice-Foreign Minister Stefania Craxi handed the prize to Princess Rym in a live television broadcast on RAI UNO television.
Upon receiving the award, Princess Rym said: “I am proud that the work carried out by the Jordan Media Institute and its capable team has been recognized by this very prestigious International award. I’m looking forward to the Institute gaining similar recognition in our region, as it was built with journalists of our part of the world in mind.”
Other recipients this year were Elena Milashinaknown for her hard-hitting
investigative articles in the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, and Anita
Shahzad whose husband, investigative journalist Syed Saleem Shehzad, was killed in Pakistan last month.
The Ischia Award is presented in collaboration with the Robert F. Kennedy
Foundation, represented at the event by Kerry R. Kennedy.
In April, Princess Rym’s Alma Mater also awarded her the 2011 Columbia Alumni Award in recognition for her work to enhance journalism education. “There is a lot to improve of course, we are only at the beginning,” said Princess Rym, “but I am very encouraged by both these prizes and hope it will help the Institute achieve more visibility and more support so as to maintain the high quality of teaching that we offer”.
The Jordan Media Institute was officially launched in 2010 is affiliated to the University of Jordan. The unique curriculum, taught in Arabic, offers a one year Masters Degree programme in Journalism and New Media, with emphasis on field training.
The Institute is currently in the process of selecting students for the third intake, due to start in September. In addition, the Institute offers tailor-made training sessions in various fields related to journalism and has so far conducted 25 training courses for some 500 journalists.
JMI has also been offered a series of partnership agreements locally, regionally and internationally, all aimed at working on setting high standards for journalism in the region, at a time when professional journalism is very much needed in the region.