VALUES AND ETHICS CELEBRATED AT AGAHI AWARDS – BEYOND 2015

The AGAHI AWARDS, Pakistan’s most sought after journalism awards held on 25th April, 2015 at the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) in Islamabad. Leading opinion makers, senior journalists, policy makers, diplomats, academicians, leading professionals from the media industry and representatives from think tanks attended the award ceremony.

The Agahi Awards recognize and celebrate the work of dedicated journalists, promoting ethical journalism and quality reporting shaping the future of journalism.

An annual series of journalism awards in Pakistan, the platform was co-founded by Mishal Pakistan and AGAHI. The awards are effort to create appreciation mechanism in Pakistan for ethical and quality content. The evaluation methodology and criteria of the awards have been designed by AGAHI on the pillars of Media Development Indicators of UNESCO, in collaboration with the Center for International Media Ethics (CIME) and input from UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

The ceremony was presented by Syed Shamon Hashmi and Sanaa Ahmed; This year AGAHI Awards received an overwhelming response by the journalist community, where more than 3000 nominations were received from all over the country across more than 50 different categories in print, television, radio and online content. Peoples’ Choice Awards categories included “Current Affairs Anchor of the Year” and “News Channel of the Year” in Pakistan. The team reached out to more than 5 million people through social media and 1.5 through SMS campaign and direct feedback.

Peoples’ Choice Award for the “Most Favourite News Channel”, third consecutive year went to GEO NEWS. Mubasher Lucman and Meher Abbas won the most favourite “Current Affairs Anchor of the Year” Awards. Agahi Awards – Beyond 2015 ‘Investigative Journalist of the Year’ went to Amir Zia for his cover story in the Newsline “Is the Party Over?”. Nadeem Malik from SAMAA TV was awarded the “Most Credible Anchor” based on the Media Credibility Index developed in collaboration with more than fifteen journalism schools in Pakistan.

The AGAHI Awards – Beyond 2015 winners included, Mubarak Zeb Khan (Foreign Policy), Waleed Tariq (Business and Economy), Allah Bux Arisar (Water and Food Security), Yusuf Sohail (Innovation), Imran Malik (Corporate Social Responsibility), Meera Karim (Economic Opportunity), Saleem ur Rehman Afridi (Community Driven Local Development), Almas Naqvi (Democratic Values), Irfan Haider (Anti-Corruption), Zahir Shah Sherazi, Alia Chughtai, and Asad Hashmi (Extremism and Terrorism), Amber R. Shamsi (Law and Order), Aneela Ashraf (Judiciary), Umar Bin Ajmal (Infotainment), Sara Farid (Photojournalism), Mureeb Mohmand (Human Rights), Saba Eitizaz (Disaster and Catastrophe), Zahid Gishkori (Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights), Hanif Samoon (Child Rights), Syed Babar Ali (Dignity), Riaz Sohail (Interfaith), Lala Hassan (Journalist Safety), Hassan Belal Zaidi (Media Ethics), Muhammad Atif Sheikh (Youth Empowerment, Vocational and Technical Training), Khalid Khattak (Education), Mansoor Malik (Curriculum Reform), Sultan Dogar (Education Infrastructure and School Condition), Sehrish Wasif (Out-of-School Children), Shabbir Wahgra (Children with No Access to Schools), Fayaz Ahmed (Girls’ Education), Abdul Shakoor (Public Spending on Education), Dr. Irfan Ahmed Baig (Energy), Bina Shah (Women Empowerment), Zia Ur Rehman (Governance), Bushra Qamar (Culture), and Salman Haqqi (Open Government).

The Awards have created appreciation for journalism in fifty different categories including business and economy, democratic values, conflict, anti-corruption, crime, education, infotainment, the nexus between water, energy and food security, gender and governance, health, extremism and terrorism, peace journalism, rule of law and dignity among other categories; thus creating media diversity across print, television, radio and the online media.

The AGAHI Awards have been the foremost media 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 position across the media industry for “Shaping the Future of Journalism” in Pakistan.

The AGAHI Awards aims to ensure diversity in content and inclusion of social issues to be highlighted in media, Mishal Pakistan in collaboration with Ilm Ideas (a four year UKaid supported initiative) created the Education category further dividing them into eight sub-categories. This has not only increased the quantum of education content in media, but has also encouraged journalists to write more on the socio-economic and political challenges on education reporting in Pakistan.

The support for the AGAHI Award for work and journalism on corporate social responsibility came from support from Philip Morris International Pakistan (PMIP). The AGAHI Awards recognized the National Rural Support Program, Bunyad, Idara-e-Taleem o Agahi and Duplex for their work for creating social dividends for the communities and society in general.

The Awards have been organized in collaboration with leading press clubs, local and international media development institutions, regulatory authorities, civil society organizations, private and public sector bodies and other stakeholders.

Mishal Pakistan is the country partner Institute of the Center for Global Competitiveness and Benchmarking Networks at the World Economic Forum. Established in 2003, Mishal has been engaged with key stakeholders in Pakistan to improve the state of media and competitiveness through good governance initiatives.

AGAHI is a not for profit working since 2011 to create non-paid communication strategies and strategic foresight. AGAHI encourages and advises individuals and institutions in pursuing and supporting initiatives to improve the state of development in Pakistan. It works on developmental frameworks facilitating information and knowledge sharing platforms on understanding challenges in global perspective. It’s research work mainly focuses on national and international security, ICT, human capital development, and governance.

Inaugurated on March 28th, 2012, the AGAHI Awards are an annual series of awards for journalism in Pakistan. These are Pakistan’s first ever journalism awards recognizing the best journalists across print, television, radio and the internet on more than 40 different journalism thematic beats. AGAHI and Mishal Pakistan in collaboration with leading press clubs across the country, local and international media development bodies, regulatory authorities and the private sector organize these awards.

The AGAHI Awards are the most sought after awards for journalism in Pakistan, and have been the foremost media 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 position across the media industry for “Shaping the Future of Journalism” in Pakistan.