Unknown Iran Protest Death Filmers Win Polk Award
The unnamed people who filmed and publicized the shooting death of an Iranian woman during the protests there last year have been awarded the George Polk journalism award. Other winners include New York Times correspondent David Rohde who detailed his kidnapping by the Taliban.
MELISSA BLOCK, Host:
Unidentified Group: (Speaking foreign language)
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BLOCK: David, this footage has become iconic, such an emblem of that protest movement last summer.
DAVID FOLKENFLIK: Think of the man standing against the tanks two decades ago in Tiananmen Square in China. It became therefore not only evocative and illustrative, but in the minds of those judging these awards, quite newsworthy as well.
BLOCK: Do you think, David, that the award here from the George Polk people for this anonymous footage, does it shift our definition of journalism in any direction?
FOLKENFLIK: I talked today to the curator of the Polk Awards, John Darnton. He said, look, we are not giving these awards to YouTube or to Flickr, to the platforms, but to those who use them and who showed bravery in so doing. And he recognizes, hey, we realize we're opening the doors here pretty wide.
BLOCK: What do you think happens if someday the identity of this winner or winners comes to light?
FOLKENFLIK: A reporter for the Wall Street Journal figured it out, told the story, identified the man just a few years ago. He was brought to the United States and rewarded for his work.
BLOCK: NPR's David Folkenflik in New York. David, thanks.
FOLKENFLIK: You bet.
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