BIA Grants Rights Reporting Awards

A ceremony was held today at the Istanbul International Independent Media Forum where two journalists and two communications students were the recipients of the BIA² 2006 Rights Reporting Awards aimed to support journalists involved in covering developments with a "rights reporting" angle, as much as to expand and strengthen this concept in the media.

The awards, granted under the framework of the IPS Communication Foundation's "Establishing a Countrywide Network for Monitoring and Covering for Media Freedom and Independent Journalism"-BİA² project, were received by Yuksekova Haber newspaper's Necip Capraz in the field of local media, Radikal newspaper's Timur Soykan in the field of mainstream media and to Aycin Gelir and Eylem Tuna in the field of communications students.

Held at the Bilgi University Dolapdere Campus the ceremony saw IPS Advisory Board Member and Award Electoral Board Secretary Mustafa Sutlas explaining the reasons behind these awards:

Awards aimed at making rights reporting widespread

Sutlas said the award to Capraz in the field of local media was given because of his reporting prior to a series of incidents now commonly known as the "Semdinli Incidents" where he had gathered bomb events of the past and reported on this in a way that shed light onto what would be taking place in the future.

The award to Soykan in the field of "Mainstream Media" was granted for his bringing of children rights on the agenda as this was an issue among the priority list of BIA².

As for communications students Gelir and Tuna, Sutlas explained their awards related to another priority of BIA² which was the field of womens rights.

"Both of our young colleagues" explained Sutlas "have not only successfully worked on the issue of womens rights which is another important group in rights reporting that BIA² is trying to create in our country, but have also covered the suicides in this field within the principles of rights reporting, showing from now that they will both be competent journalists in the future.

Following Sutlas's speech the awards were handed out. Capraz's award was granted by Turkey's Journalists Association Chairman Orhan Erinc, Soykan's by United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) Turkey Communications director Sema Hosta, Gelir and Tuna's awards by Ankara University Communications Faculty lecturer Dr. Sevilay Celenk.

Other journalists who were graded in the competition received plaques and laptop computers.

Who is Necip Capraz

Capraz was born in 1967 in Hakkari-Yuksekova. He completed his education at the Yuzuncu Yil University Veterinary Health High School. In 1991 he started working in journalism for the first time, at the Hakkari Demokrat newspaper. In 1993 he set up Hakkari's first private radio and television. In 2000 he set up the Yuksekova Haber newspaper which circulates throughout Hakkari. He is married and father of 4.

Who is Timur Soykan

Soykan was born in 1975 in Kirklareli's Demirkoy town. He completed his primary and middle school education in Edirne. After graduating from the Marmara University Communications Faculty Radio, TV and Cinema Department, he worked for various television stations as a camareman. Later he worked at the Yeni Yuzyil newspaper and Inter Medya Magazine Group. He has been working as a reporter at the Radikal newspaper since1999.

Who is Aycin Gelir

Gelir was born in Izmir in 1984. She is a 3rd grade student at the Anadolu University Communications Sciences Faculty Press-Information Faculty. Alongside her studies she works as a news reporter at the TV A television which is the television station of Anadolu University. She is also the producer of a program on TV A. Within the university itself, Gelir is involved in womens rights work with a group of women.

Who is Eylem Tuna

Tuna was born in 1978 in Kars. She is a 3rd grade student at the Anadolu University Communications Sciences Faculty Press-Information Faculty. Similar to Gelir she too works at the University television station TV A as a news reporter. She is involved in the "womens work group" at the university that focuses on womens problems and rights. (KO/AO/II/TK)