Channel 4 News’ Syria war coverage wins Emmy in New York
For the second year running Channel 4 News has won the International Emmy Award in the news category, for a series of films charting Syria’s brutal civil war.
The news category accolade was presented to the programme on Tuesday night.
Entitled Syria’s Descent, the series of films that make up the Channel 4 News entry, chart a country’s fall into hopelessness with “searing coverage from Aleppo, Damascus, Ras-al-Ayn and Zaatari refugee camps, as the brutal civil war entered its third year.”
In these dangerous and unsettled times, the need for high quality news has never been so great Bruce L. Paisner, President & CEO of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Pictured: Foreign Editor Nevine Mabro, cameraman Chris Hease, filmmaker Marcel Mettelsiefen, Chief Correspondent Alex Thomson and Editor Ben de Pear.
The fifth estate: Made In Bangladesh produced by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) won the current affairs category.
“In these dangerous and unsettled times, the need for high quality news has never been so great.” said Bruce L. Paisner, President & CEO of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. “These two programs capture two strands of critical news reporting today: news of war, and news of people who suffer, even absent war.”
Editor, Ben de Pear, said: “It is such an honour to win an International Emmy Award. But to win one in two straight years makes it particularly special. I am so proud of everyone at Channel 4 News. They may be a small team but the work they produce makes a significant impact.”
Last year Channel 4 News won the International News Emmy for its coverage of the battle for the Syrian city of Homs.
The Channel 4 News submission that won this year’s award included the following films:
Agony in Aleppo
Marcel Mettelsiefen’s film charted the breakdown of Aleppo, the devastating impact of the war on children and the growing reach of al Nusra. Few reports from Syria last year came close to this film in capturing, with such beautiful judgement and pathos, the intimate and graphic horror of what now passes for normal life in Syria.
Team: Marcel Mittelsiefen, Teresa Smith, Agnieszka Liggett, Jon Snow
Syrian Brides
This exclusive film showed the lives of Syrian women and children who have fled the civil war to what they hoped was the safety of a refugee camp – but to find themselves living in fear of rape, kidnap and sham marriages.
Team: Sharron Ward, Job Rabkin, Jackie Long, Agnieszka Liggett
War within a War
This film gave viewers an insight into the complex nature of this war – with a look at Ras Al Ayn a city divided between Arabs and Kurds. Mani managed to get access to both sides – and the report gave viewers an insight into the different ethnic groups and factions fighting for a part in Syria’s post-Assad future.
Team: Mani, Jonathan Miller, Matt Whelham
Journalist Kamal Kaddourah also played an important part in bringing all three films to air.
The Channel 4 News Emmy entry also included reports from Damascus, (Alex Thomson and Chris Hease) and Congo (Cathy Newman, Sarah Corp and Ray Queally).