European Parliament Launches Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize For Outstanding Work In Journalism
The European Parliament has launched a journalism prize in honour of the late Maltese journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia.
The Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism will reward outstanding work in the field of journalism that also reflects European Union values.
“The Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize will recognise the essential role that journalists play in preserving our democracies and serve as a reminder to citizens of the importance of a free press,” said Parliament Vice President Heidi Hautala.
“This prize is designed to help journalists in the vital and often dangerous work they do and show that the European Parliament supports investigative journalists,” she said.
Those honoured with the prize will also receive €20,000 and will be selected by an independent panel.
Each year, the significance of World Press Freedom Day gets more important.
We will continue to work to ensure that all journalists are protected & safe from all kind of threats. This is the reason behind #DaphneCaruanaGalizia Prize.
The @Europarl_EN will not leave you alone. https://t.co/SamMuffVOm
— David Casa (@DavidCasaMEP) May 3, 2021
MEP David Casa, who has fought for the Daphne Caruana Galizia award since 2017, took to Twitter to celebrate the news.
Caruana Galizia was killed in a car bomb explosion outside her home in October 2017. Over three years later, the investigation into her death continues with businessman Yorgen Fenech allegedly the mastermind behind the plot.
Meanwhile, Vince Muscat, known as il-Koħħu, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to the murder of the journalist. Brothers Alfred and George Degiorgio also both stand accused of the murder.
The handling of the Daphne Caruana Galizia spurred outcry towards the end of 2019, with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat stepping down as a result.
Since then, Malta has failed to improve in a press freedom ranking, falling behind countries such as Panama, Kosovo And Sierra Leone.
This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author’s view. The European Parliament is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
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