Two documentaries from GMA Network raised the Philippine flag in the United Kingdom as The Atom Araullo Specials and The Reporter’s Notebook were honored at the 2019 Association of International Broadcasters (AIB) Awards held in London.
The GMA Public Affairs documentaries were given Highly Commended citations personally received by Atom Araullo in front of an international audience of 200 media professionals gathered at the AIB awards gala in London’s iconic venue LSO St Luke’s on November 6.
“Babies4Sale.PH” from The Atom Araullo Specials and “Batas ng Karagatan” from the Reporter’s Notebook received “Highly Commended” citations from among the more than 400 hours of content that had been entered for the AIBs 2019 international awards for factual content production.
The 2019 AIB International Media Awards recognized winners across 19 categories.
GMA Network Reporter’s Notebook: Batas ng Karagatan (The Law of the Sea) was given one of the two Highly Commended citations in the Politics and Business section won by Al Jazeera English. Peddling Pictures for Channel News Asia received the other commendation for a report also about the Philippines. Reporter’s Notebook competed among 7 finalists in the category.
Reporter’s Notebook: Batas ng Karagatan synopsis: The fishing ground of Scarborough Shoal has become a flashpoint in Philippines-China relations. GMA Network revealed that Filipino fishermen face illegal blockades and having their catch taken by the Chinese coast guard as they earn a living in their traditional fishing waters.
“Our judges praised the boldness of the investigative approach which brought these incidents to light,” says AIB of The Reporter’s Notebook docu.
GMA Network’s The Atom Araullo Specials: Babies4sale.Philippines was given one of the two “Highly Commended” citations in the Investigative TV/video section won by BBC Africa. The other commendation was given to Al Jazeera English. The Atom Araullo Specials competed among 7 shortlisted in the category.
The Atom Araullo Specials: Babies4sale.Philippines In the Philippines synopsis: so-called adoption pages on Facebook offered babies for sale for as little as seven hundred dollars. It’s an illegal practice, yet widespread, as GMA Network’s Babies for Sale discovered. With the help of a middleman, a Birth Mom will rather sell her newborn than raising the child on her own.
“Judges called this a ‘brilliant piece of journalism’,” revealed the AIB International Media Awards about Atom Araullo’s report.
Atom Araullo’s Babies For Sale documentary special also won the Gold Camera Award at the 2019 United States International Film and Video Festival and the Best Documentary Programme (one-off) at the 2019 Asian Academy Creative Awards in Singapore.
Atom Araullo’s Philippine Seas documentary and I-Witness’ The Forgotten, also of GMA Network, bagged gold awards at the 2018 United States International Film and Video Festival.
SEND congratulations in the comments below to Atom Araullo and GMA Network for showcasing exemplary factual productions in London!
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