The European Union and Samir Kassir Foundation launched today the 18 th edition of the Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press.

The award, which has been granted by the European Union since 2006, honours the Lebanese journalist and writer Samir Kassir, who was assassinated in 2005. The competition for the award has attracted since its creation more than 3,200 candidates from the Middle East, the Gulf and North Africa and 45 journalists have won the award so far.

“In a region where the freedom of the press is limited and where information is often controlled by the state, access to trusted and quality journalism has never been more important. Journalism awards play a vital role in offering recognition to journalists”, said the Ambassador of the European Union to Lebanon Ralph Tarraf.

“Unfortunately, freedom of the press is in a difficult position today, but this reinforces the idea that the media serves as a tool of resistance against repressive regimes. The press plays a major role in holding people accountable and putting an end to impunity. Professional journalism is the most important tool in speaking truth to power”, Samir Kassir Foundation President Gisèle Khoury stated.

The Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press is open to candidates from North Africa, the Middle East, and the Gulf. The deadline for sending in contributions is 1 April 2023. Three awards will be granted for the best:
- Opinion Article
- Investigative Article
- Audiovisual News Report

The contributions must be centred on one or more of the following topics: rule of law, human rights, good governance, fight against corruption, freedom of expression, democratic development, and citizen participation. The winner of each of the three categories will receive a prize of €10,000.

The jury will be composed of seven voting members from Arab and European media and one observer representing the European Union Delegation to Lebanon. The names of the winners will be communicated during the prize-awarding ceremony, which will take place on 1 June 2023 in Beirut, on the eve of the 18 th anniversary of Samir Kassir’s assassination.

The contest regulations, application forms, rules, and conditions are available on the Award’s website: www.samirkassiraward.org

Registration closes on 1 April 2023.
For more information: coordination@prixsamirkassir.org