Post on 28-Oct-2021
transcript
TheStoryofManjuDasbyNilitaVachaniwinsthefirstACJAwardforInvestigativeJournalism
Theinvestigativepiece,publishedinTheCaravan,revealstheexploitationofanilliteratedomesticworkerbypowerfulbusinessmenwhowereensnaredinthelargestinsidertradingcaseintheUnitedStates.3May2016,Chennai:NilitaVachaniwontheinauguralACJAwardforInvestigativeJournalismintheprint/onlinecategoryforherstorypublishedinTheCaravanmagazineinNovember2015.Vachani’sstoryisabouttheexploitationofManjuDas,adomesticworkerfromWestBengal,bypowerfulbusinessmenofSouth-AsianoriginintheUnitedStates.VachaniwaspresentedacitationbythejuryandINR200,000inprizemoneyforherwork.Thewinnerwaschosenfromapoolof111entriesthatwerefirstshortlistedtoformthetop30nominationsandfurthernarrowedtothefinalfour.Theprint/onlinecategorysawentriesin8languagesfrom46newsmediaoutletsandhadstoriesfrom64locationsofreportage.Thethreeotherfinalnomineesintheprint/onlinecategoryareasfollows(innoparticularorder):MaliniSubramaniam’s‘GroundReport:ThetruthbehindChhattisgarh’srecentMaoistsurrenders’publishedinScrollinDecember2015;KrishnKaushik’s‘DoingtheNeedful:Essar’sIndustryofInfluence’publishedinTheCaravaninAugust2015;andSohiniChattopadhyay’s‘Insidethefellowshipoftherelentlesslypositive’publishedinGristMediaandYahooNewsinFebruary2015.ThefinaljurycomprisingchairpersonLeilaSethandmembersTJSGeorge,MrinalPandeandMukulKesavanchoseVachani’sstoryfortheprizewiththis
citation,“NilitaVachani’s‘InsideJob—thewomanwhowassacrificedtonabRajRajaratnam’wasunanimouslychosenforthe1stACJAwardforInvestigativeJournalism.Thejurywasstruckbytheexcellenceofherwritingandthepoignantyetunsentimentalrecreationofthetragedyofanilliteratewomanusedbypowerfulmen.NilitaVachani’sgreatachievementishowshetrackeddownandintroducedtothereaderapersonwhoseidentityhadbeenstolenforprofitinAmericaandwhohadthenbeenabandonedtoobscurityanddestitutioninaremotevillageinWestBengal.Hertenacityandimaginationintakingwhatseemedlikethelooseendofahighprofileprosecutionandteasingitoutintoamovingparableofgreedandstoicismmakesheraworthywinner.”Thebroadcastcategorysawonlyfourentriesthisyear,noneofwhichwasconsideredprizeworthy.Therefore,theACJAwardsCommitteeinconsultationwiththejurymembersdecidednottogivetheawardinthiscategoryfor2015.Theawards,whichwillbegivenannually,havebeeninstitutedbytheMediaDevelopmentFoundation,thetrusttheadministerstheAsianCollegeofJournalism(ACJ),toactasacatalysttoinspiremorejournalists,editorsandnewsroomstopursueinvestigativework,andintheprocess,raisethestandardsofjournalismandcontributetothepublicinterest.Formoreinformationorpressenquires,pleasecontact:NilitaVachaniWinner|Print/OnlineCategorywww.nilitavachani.com,vinodkjose@gmail.com.NikhilKanekalConvener|ACJAwards|AsianCollegeofJournalismacjawards@gmail.com.