Benedict Moran Named the Gold Medal Winner for Investigative Digital Series on Conflict in the Central African Republic
New York, NY – December 16, 2015 – Benedict Moran, an independent correspondent for Al Jazeera America (AJAM), has been named the Gold Medal Winner and recipient of The Elizabeth Neuffer Memorial Prize for written media from the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA). Winners of this year’s 2015 UNCA Awards were announced at a gala held on Monday, December 14th in New York.
Moran was recognized for his three-part series reporting on the crisis in the Central African Republic, published digitally by AJAM in December of 2014. The winning investigative journalism series was made possible through a grant from the International Reporting Project (IRP), an independent journalism program based in Washington, D.C.
“I’m very happy for the award, and grateful to Al Jazeera America and the International Reporting Project for supporting the work of independent reporters like myself and for the attention they give to publishing stories from under-reported and remote corners of the world,” said Moran.
Moran told the story of the ongoing conflict among Christians and Muslims and other rebel groups living in the Central African Republic, despite efforts by local aid groups, the UN and other peacekeeping missions to improve relations and the lives of the displaced. Moran reveals that years of trial and error have yet to resolve the country’s problems, and have only resulted in increased uncertainty and confusion for those working towards a solution.
“Ben has consistently delivered exceptional reporting on issues such as poverty, war and disease, often from very challenging environments," said Tony Karon, AJAM’s Senior Vice President for Digital. “He goes the extra mile to relay the voices of those most directly affected by these issues on the ground. His stories and photographs provide an intimate picture of the lived experiences of these stories, reflecting an extraordinary, selfless commitment to Al Jazeera-spirit journalism. We are honored to have him as an AJAM contributor.”
Benedict Moran is a journalist primarily based in New York City. Since 2014, he has reported for Al Jazeera America from the Central African Republic, Tanzania, Haiti, Papua New Guinea, South Sudan and the Paris climate change conference, in part with fellowship support from the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, the International Reporting Project at Johns Hopkins University and the Brown Institute for Media Innovation, a collaboration between Columbia and Stanford Universities.
Throughout his career, Moran has traveled and worked in more than 75 countries as a journalist and aid worker and won awards for his coverage of the cholera epidemic in Haiti and on rural health programs in Tanzania. He holds a Masters of Science in Journalism and a Masters of International Affairs from Columbia University.
For more information on the 2015 UNCA Awards, please visit their website: http://unca.com/2015-unca-awards-winners/.
About Al Jazeera America
Al Jazeera America is the U.S. news channel that provides both domestic and international news for American audiences. Headquartered in New York City with bureaus in 12 cities across the United States, AJAM carries an award-winning mix of live news, special programming, documentaries and more. To find AJAM in your area, visit http://www.aljazeera.com/getajam. Visit AJAM online at http://www.aljazeera.com/america. Like us on Facebook and follow @AJAM, @AJAMCorp on Twitter for the latest news and updates. Join the conversation using #AJAM.
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