The 2007 Refugee Week Scottish Media Awards highlighted and awarded exceptional and fair reporting of asylum in Scotland.
Often media stories about asylum issues have been seen as failing to provide context by omitting the real reasons why people seek asylum, and the challenges they face whilst they are in the UK. These stories also often fail to give a voice to refugees, or show the human reality behind the system.
The Refugee Week Scottish Media Awards were organised by the Oxfam Asylum Positive Images Network and were designed to support and encourage fair reporting from journalists. Using an award ceremony as a tool to highlight and promote the positive contribution the media has made is helping the continuing campaign for just coverage and refugee involvement in the media.
Journalists and the community were invited to nominate work by submitting an example of reportage for consideration. The articles should have contributed positively to the representation of asylum within media reporting. Entries included news coverage, features and opinion pieces. A panel of refugees (exiled journalists and community leaders) as well as journalism professionals judged the Media Awards within the different agencies.
The event was held in the Victoria Bar of the Tron Theatre - the hub of Refugee Week 2007 activities - and was targeted at journalists, press officers, and other media professionals. The UNHCR, National Union of Journalists, Scottish Refugee Council, Oxfam and the British Red Cross all sponsored prizes.
With expanded awards more than 30 nominations were received across a broad range of issues and in a variety of media. Awards were given for winners and runners up in each category. An award from Amnesty International Scotland & The Sunday Herald for students was presented. In addition to this, a special award was presented to the Big Issue for their exceptional coverage.
The Media Awards accepted nominations from four categories: national print, local print, photography and broadcast in Scotland. The winning journalists covered a wide range of issues relating to asylum seekers and refugees including problems they face with the asylum system and stories of successful integration.
Paul Holleran (NUJ Scotland) hosted the ceremony, with awards presented by exiled journalists, young refugees, Sir Nick Young (British Red Cross), Patrick Harvie MSP, and Simon Hodgson (Scottish Refugee Council).
