‘It’s Bisan from Gaza and I’m still alive’ – Palestinian journalist wins Emmy Award
Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda
Nurah Tape reports in The Palestine Chronicle on 26 September 2024:
Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda has won an Emmy award for her documentary produced by Al Jazeera’s AJ+ titled ‘It’s Bisan from Gaza and I’m Still Alive.’
This comes despite a call from a pro-Israel organization, endorsed by more than 150 actors and producers, to revoke the 25-year-old’s short film nomination in the Outstanding Hard News Feature Story category. The eight-minute documentary follows Owda’s journey as she is forced to leave her home in Gaza City after October 7 and is displaced several times amidst Israel’s ongoing genocidal war on the Strip.
‘Journalism Not a Crime’
‘This award is testimony to the power of one woman armed only with an iPhone who survived almost a year of bombardment,” John Lawrence, senior executive producer for AJ+ Reports, said as he accepted the award on Owda’s behalf at the prize ceremony.
Lawrence pointed out that over 100 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza “including several of our Al Jazeera colleagues.” “Our bureau in the occupied West Bank was shut down at gunpoint just last week”, he added. “We thank you, our journalistic community, for this recognition for Bisan and the AJ+ team and we urge you to join us in saying that journalism is not a crime.”
‘Terrorist’ Allegations
Last month, the Creative Community for Peace (CCFP) organization alleged that Owda had “documented ties” to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), “a United States-designated terrorist organization.” The non-profit also accused Owda of having “disseminated antisemitic content” and said the “Emmys cannot allow their prestigious award show to be hijacked by terrorists.”
In response, NATAS CEO and President Adam Sharp said in a letter that the News & Documentary Emmys “have recognized excellence in television journalism for nearly half a century.” He said some of the “honored programs and reports” have “been controversial, giving a platform to voices that certain viewers may find objectionable or even abhorrent. “But all have been in the service of the journalistic mission to capture every facet of the story,” Sharp emphasized.
He pointed out that in every case, submissions to the News & Documentary Emmys are judged by experienced journalists from across multiple news organizations, serving in an independent, volunteer capacity.