Top honors for journalists, media veterans

Journalists and media houses were honored with prizes for outstanding work at the National Media Awards function at Park Hyatt here on Thursday.
Minister of Culture and Information Abdulaziz Khoja handed out the prizes and praised the role of the media in the country.
Among the top winners were journalists from Asharq newspaper, Dammam; Line Sport TV, Riyadh; Al-Riyadi newspaper, Jeddah; and MBC-FM.
Media veterans including Hisham and Muhammad Ali Hafiz, Badr Kraim, Majid Al-Shibal, Sulaiman Al-Essa, Dalal Aziz Dhia and Abdulla Rajah were honored for their services to the profession and the nation.
The prizes for best cartoon, radio reports, public relations and society service categories were not presented because entries were not up to standard.
Prizes were also awarded to key sponsors of the event. Tarek Mishkhas, editor in chief of Urdu News and Malayalam News, received the prize on behalf of the Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG).
“It is great to be honored,” Mishkhas told Arab News. “Saudis have been winning in events abroad, and it is fitting to win and be recognized in the Kingdom. Dr. Khoja deserves a big thanks from the media and the people for such good ideas and encouragement,” he said.
“SRMG is one of the leading and biggest publishing groups in the Middle East, and true to its stature and belief, it is always keen to participate in all events that support and encourage the media, young journalists and the media community at large,” he said.
Mishkhas said that honoring the veterans, who really worked hard and with wisdom, was a step in the right direction. “These pioneers have made it easier for the present generation ... The current generation does not know much about the sacrifices and contributions of those behind the scenes. Our deep and sincerest thanks to all of them,” he said.
Muhammad Maroof Shibani, former Arab News editor in chief and one of the six members of the higher committee of the award, said: “This is the first time in Saudi Arabia that awards have been given to the best programs, articles or news items in the media in the Kingdom. All the media people had been looking forward to it for a long time. It has turned out to be great.”
He said that more than 800 articles and programs from the print media, radio and television were received. The jury took about a week to decide on the winners.
Khoja said he was glad and proud that such an event was being held in the Kingdom for the first time. He thanked the sponsors and those who contributed to the success of the event, adding that more categories would be added in the years ahead, with more journalists and editors honored.
He said the media in Saudi Arabia cover issues freely and with responsibility and maturity. They project and promote the Kingdom’s image and the policies of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, as they did during the reign of his predecessors. The media have developed historically both in technology and technique.
Commenting on the event, Abdul Rahman A. Al-Hazzaa, president of the Saudi Broadcasting Corporation, said that it was a big move for the people working in the media. It would encourage them to strive for improvement, as competition brings out the best in everyone. “All of us will be trying to present a better quality of production. In this award, we have covered print, radio and television media,” he said.
Al-Hazzaa said that by honoring people who have been in the media for a long time, “we are saying, ‘you are in our heart and we have not forgotten your contribution.’ What they have done is an inspiration to the young media people of today. The veterans will always support them.”
Faadwa Al-Tayar, who has been working for the culture channel of Saudi TV for the last nine years, said the national media have been rendering valuable service, and “events like this spur them to do much better.”
Television journalist Asem Alghamdi said: “It is good that we have something like this in Saudi Arabia, which will contribute to the improvement of the media, society and Saudi Arabia. Competition will contribute to better quality and raise the standard of professionalism even higher.”
Mohammed Tomaihi of Al Arabiya TV, said that it was the start of a good way to treat journalists and people in the media. “It is late but to start late is better than not to start at all. With the beginning made, next year will be different. It will be wider, better and brighter,” he said.
Tomaihi said thanks should go to Fahad Al-Samman, director of the award, who came up with the idea. “It is likely to become one of the most popular prizes in our region. We cannot expect to see its impact immediately. We will have to wait at least a year for that. The veterans are like teachers to us. In honoring them we say thank you for what they have done for the profession and journalists,” said Tomaihi.
Al-Samman said that the awards are a private initiative.