The Peabody Awards Just Recognized the Harrowing Work of One Gazan Journalist
The Peabody Awards, which recognize excellence in TV, radio, and digital media, have announced their 2024 winners. Among fan-favorite series like The Last of Us and Bluey, one Gazan journalist has been recognized for the work she’s done to bring the reality of genocide to the world.
Bisan Owda, a Gazan journalist and filmmaker in her 20s, has provided coverage of the ongoing genocide in Gaza since Israel began its assault over seven months ago. Owda chronicled her journey from her home in Beit Hanoun to various temporary shelters, to the city of Khan Younis in the south, and then to the city of Rafah. Each location Owda has traveled to has later been attacked by Israeli forces.
Owda hasn’t just chronicled the unimaginable terror and grief in Gaza, but the enclave’s human moments: enjoying Palestinian sweets discovered in a shelter’s forgotten supply, or watching children fly kites outside of a refugee camp. At times, Owda has reported from life-threatening situations like the Israeli attack on an ambulance outside of Al-Shifa hospital in November. More than one of Owda’s videos have included audible bombs and gunfire behind her. Throughout the ordeal, Owda has documented the widespread destruction wrought by the Israeli army.
On Thursday, the Peabody Awards program announced that it had awarded Owda and the news network AJ+ for Owda’s series It’s Bisan From Gaza and I’m Still Alive. “Despite a lack of clean water and the increasing scarcity of food, [Owda] draws on her indomitable spirit to keep the world informed,” the Peabody website states. “For showing bravery and persistence in the midst of imminent danger, and for carrying a heavy journalistic burden as the entire world looks on, It’s Bisan from Gaza and I’m Still Alive is honored with a Peabody Award.”
Although the awards ceremony isn’t until June, Owda released an acceptance speech from a shelter in Gaza. “Acknowledging journalists’ efforts at this time is really important to me,” Owda said. “It shows the world what’s happening to us at a time when the Israeli occupation is murdering us—journalists, doctors, medics, and civilians—as if we were supporting terrorism. We rise to simply document the genocide happening to our people, and we expose the oppression to the world.”
Owda also emphasizes the importance of worldwide solidarity in the fight for Palestinian freedom. “I dedicate this award to the college students who are protesting, to all the people who took to the streets, to all the people at home who are participating in boycotts, to all the people worldwide regardless of their color, religion, ethnicity, and kind.”
Since Hamas’s October 7 attack that killed 1,200 Israelis, Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government has killed over 34,000 Palestinians, including over 14,000 children. Israeli is currently attacking Rafah, where over one million people have been sheltering since being forced to evacuate other parts of Gaza. Meanwhile, Gazans are threatened by famine, dehydration, and disease as Israel prevents humanitarian aid from entering the enclave.
But Owda’s acceptance speech signals her refusal to give up hope. “One day, the genocide will end,” she says, “and Palestine will be free.”
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