On October 27 in Yerevan the ceremony of awarding the Armenian journalists-winners
of Biodiversity Reporting Awards Competition in Caucasus was held. This annual
competition is administered by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ),
Washington, D.C., and is open to media representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Georgia and Russia.
Winners-2008 were announced journalists from Armenia and Georgia. Arpi Harutiunian,
Correspondent of ArmeniaNow online publication won first prize for the article
“Conflict of Man and Beasts: Armenian wildlife in danger of extinction”. Second
prize went to Karine Simonian, Correspondent of the Armenian Service of Radio
Free Europe/Radio Liberty for the report “Those in Teghut Can’t Make It! Which
is more important – Environment or Jobs?” Rezo Getiashvili, Correspondent of
“Kviris Palitra” Georgian newspaper, got the third prize for the article “The
Failure of Forestry Reform – A New Legislation Could Break Villages”.
Honorable Mentions were awarded Eka Lomidze, Correspondent of “Kviris Palitra”
for the article “Borjomi Forests are Cut Severely”; Marianna Grigorian, Correspondent
of ArmeniaNow for the article “Copper Controversy Haunts Armenian Town”, published
in EurasiaNet, and the President of “Ekolur” NGO Inga Zarafian for the TV-documentary
“Victims of the Black Bull”.
Award ceremony of the Georgian journalists was held in Tbilisi on October 22.
