Atex sponsors Martin Adler Prize for freelance journalists and newsgatherers

Reading, UK - Atex is proud to announce its sponsorship for the Martin Adler Prize at The Rory Peck Awards 2009. The Prize recognizes the work of freelance newsgatherers in reporting and producing important news stories. It will be awarded on Thursday, November 19 in London and acknowledges the pivotal role of three freelancers who worked under dangerous circumstances reporting the news from the Gaza Strip.

The 2009 Martin Adler Prize recipients are:

Talal Abu Rahma a freelance reporter, producer and cameraman who works regularly for CNN and France 2. Rahma was present during the Israeli offensive, reporting and shooting pictures from the Gaza Strip.
 

Raed Athamneh a freelance fixer, driver and field producer who has worked alongside freelancers and international news crews from the BBC, ARD and Al Jazeera English. Stories Raed has helped produce have been featured on the front pages of The New York Times and International Herald Tribune.
 

Ashraf Mashharawi a freelance cameraman, producer and director worked for Channel 4 News inside Gaza when it was first bombed and then invaded in December 2008 and January 2009.
This is the second consecutive year that Atex has sponsored the Martin Adler Prize and recognizes the enormous contribution freelancers make in bringing critical news to the mainstream media.

“As a partner to the media industry for more 37 years, we understand how important these unheralded individuals are in reporting news stories,” said John Hawkins, Atex Group CEO. “At Atex, we strive to provide our customers with tools and products to help them reduce cost and efficiently produce the news, but we value and respect the effort it takes to collect the news. Awards like the Martin Adler Prize demonstrate that without people on the ground working directly in harm’s way, some of the globe’s most influential news stories would never see the light of day.”

Established in 2007 in honor of the late award-winning freelance journalist, photographer and filmmaker Martin Adler, the Martin Adler Prize is given annually to a deserving freelance cameraman or camerawoman, local journalist, producer, fixer or driver, who in many cases risks his or her life in the reporting of an important news story. The Prize is intended to raise awareness of the value of the recipient’s work and helps in career progression.

The Martin Adler Prize is awarded as part of The Rory Peck Awards, an international competition that celebrates the work of freelance cameramen and camerawoman in broadcast news and current affairs. The awards ceremony is the main fundraiser for The Rory Peck Trust, which supports freelance newsgatherers and their families worldwide in times of need and promotes their welfare and safety.

“We are delighted that Atex, who are in the forefront of digital technology, are sponsoring the Martin Adler Prize and understand the important role that freelancers play in newsgathering,” said Tina Carr, Director, The Rory Peck Trust. “We are grateful for their commitment.”

Continued Mr. Hawkins: “We are pleased to partner with the Rory Peck Trust in awarding the Martin Adler Prize. Supporting the hard work and families of these courageous individuals is an honor Atex does not take lightly and it is a relationship we hope to carry on for years to come.”

About Martin Adler
Martin Adler was an award-winning freelance journalist, photographer and filmmaker who was murdered in Somalia in 2006. Committed to covering the people, places and events that he felt nobody else cared about, Martin’s work shed light on some of the most dangerous and abusive situations in the world. He was a regular entrant to The Rory Peck Awards, winning in 2004 for his shocking account of the US army’s modus operandi in Iraq. In memory of Martin’s great talents as a journalist, filmmaker and storyteller, the Trust inaugurated this special prize in 2007.

About The Rory Peck Awards
The Rory Peck Awards is an international competition. It is unique - the only showcase in the world to celebrate the work of freelance cameramen and camerawomen in broadcast news and current affairs. This annual event is the main fundraiser for The Rory Peck Trust.

About The Rory Peck Trust

The Rory Peck Trust supports freelance newsgatherers and their families worldwide in times of need and promotes their welfare and safety. The Trust provides financial support to freelancers and to the families of those who are killed, seriously injured or suffering persecution as a result of their work. Now an internationally recognized organization, the Trust provides a unique source of assistance, and is widely respected for the role it plays in promoting good practice and the right of freelance newsgatherers to do their work safely and in freedom. The Trust enjoys the active involvement and support of an international and influential committee of freelance newsgatherers, journalists’ organizations and broadcasters including ABC News, Aljazeera, APTN, ARD, BBC, BSkyB, CBC, CBS, Channel 4 TV, CNN, ITN, NBC, Reuters, RTE, WDR, ZDF. The Trust is totally independent and relies on its income from sponsorship, grants and donations.