Prominent Indian journalist Rana Ayyub on Wednesday received the prestigious John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award at the 2022 Fourth Estate Award Gala.
The award conferred by the National Press Club of Washington DC is the club’s highest honor of Press Freedom.
In her acceptance speech on Wednesday, the columnist with The Washington Post said that there is no free press in India anymore. “I’m here, trying to feel less alone at a time I feel very lonely. I happen to be a Muslim & a woman. How dare I speak? … Thank you for making me feel less alone & isolated.” She added.
Earlier this year, National Press Club President Jen Judson and National Press Club Journalism Institute President Gil had said, “We are pleased to name Rana Ayyub the 2022 John Aubuchon Award International Honoree. Ms. Ayyub’s courage and skill in investigative work has been evident throughout her distinguished career and her criticism of the government has been met with an unwelcome assault on her rights and freedom of expression.”
In a tweet, Ayyub said, “This evening I received the John Aubuchon honour in a room full of the country’s finest. I dedicated the award to Shirin Abu Akhleh and to every single journalist fighting an isolating battle. History will be kind to us.”
She added that her award is dedicated to all unsung journalists who do not have my privilege, access or a public voice. Who have been incarcerated, silenced, murdered. “For Gauri, For Siddique Kappan, for each one of you.”
Ayyub received the Most Resilient Journalist Award by Free Press Unlimited for continuing her work “despite being harassed both online and offline and receiving death threats” in 2018.
In February 2020, Ayyub was awarded with McGill Medal for journalistic courage at University of Georgia’s Grady College. She is also the Voices of Courage and Conscience Awardee 2020 from the Muslim Public Affairs Council of America. The Time magazine had named Ayyub among the ten global journalists who face maximum threats to their lives.
