Rappler’s Marites Vitug part of 2020 #NataliPrize grand jury

MANILA, Philippines – Rappler editor-at-large Marites Vitug is one of the 5 judges of this year’s Lorenzo Natali Media Prize, or the 2020 #NataliPrize.

The Lorenzo Natali Media Prize recognizes journalists around the world who report on sustainable development issues. Each year, a grand jury of leading figures in media and notable experts in development and cooperation are chosen to pick the winners from around the world.

Members of this year’s #NataliPrize grand jury are:

• Marites Danguilan Vitug – Award-winning Filipino journalist. Her latest book, Rock Solid: How the Philippines won its maritime dispute against China, won the National Book Award for best book in journalism in 2019.
• Gillian Joseph – News anchor of Sky News @ Breakfast in London. She previously presented the news on BBC Breakfast and on BBC London.
• Kingsley Okeke – Crafted the media strategy for African Leadership Magazine’s new markets. He also oversees African Leadership Magazine Group’s offices in Africa.
• Maria Latella – Anchorwoman of L’Intervista, a leading politics news program in Italy and a columnist for Il Messaggero. Her books include The Power of Women, Tendenza Veronica, and Come si conquista un paese.
• Zaina Erhaim – Award-winning journalist and communication manager for the Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR). She was named the journalist of the year by Reporters without Borders in 2015, and one of the 100 Most Powerful Arab Women according to Arabian Business.

Since 1992, the Lorenzo Natali Media Prize has recognized journalists who exude passion and talent in storytelling and speaking truth to power. It highlights journalism’s contribution to building more sustainable, fair, and prosperous societies. 

In 2008, Filipino journalist Aries Rufo was awarded the Lorenzo Natali Media Prize and became the first Asian recipient of the prestigious award. His winning piece “A cry for justice” told the story of murdered judges in the Philippines.

This year, the winners are expected to be announced on June 9 to 10 in Brussels, Belgium during the European Development Days forum organized by the European Commission. The entries went through a pre-selection phase carried out by 3 journalism schools: The Vesalius College in Brussels, The Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Lisbon, Portugal, and The Université Saint Joseph in Beirut, Lebanon.

The award was named after Lorenzo Natali, a former Commissioner for Development at the European Commission. He was a staunch supporter of freedom of expression, democracy, human rights, and development. – Rappler.com