Former Gaza Correspondent Honoured for Bravery in London Ceremony
Malak A Tantesh, who previously served as the Guardian's correspondent in Gaza, has been awarded the prestigious Young Journalist of the Year title in the national press category at this year's Media Freedom awards in London. The 20-year-old received the honour from the UK's Society of Editors for her exceptional work reporting from one of the world's most dangerous conflict zones.
Reporting from the 'Gateway to Hell'
The judges praised Tantesh for demonstrating immense talent and bravery in some of the hardest conditions ever faced by a journalist. They highlighted how she continued to report while having to forage for food and facing the constant risk of bombing and the threat of targeted killing. Tantesh reported for the Guardian from Gaza for 18 months, documenting the devastating impact of the war while experiencing personal tragedy, including losing close relatives.
In one particularly powerful piece, she described returning with her father Amjed to her birthplace in Beit Lahia to find their family home in ruins and their orchard destroyed. My memories are crushed and buried, she wrote poignantly. Her October article reflected on two years of war that had taken the people of Gaza through what she called a gateway to hell, revealing there were times when surviving family members envied the dead.
The Deadly Cost for Journalists in Gaza
The recognition comes against a grim backdrop for media workers in the region. According to United Nations figures, at least 248 journalists had been killed in Gaza by September, representing more media fatalities than in any other modern conflict. There have been repeated allegations that Israel deliberately targets journalists, though Israeli authorities deny these charges while claiming some killed journalists had been Hamas operatives.
Accepting her award on Wednesday, Tantesh thanked her parents for raising me to be the person who I am now, noting they remain in Gaza suffering the same hardships she endured. She also acknowledged her sister Enas, who worked alongside her as a photographer in Gaza, and her cousin Seham, who has now assumed her former position as correspondent.
The Guardian's editor-in-chief, Katharine Viner, expressed pride in Tantesh's achievement, stating: I am thrilled that Malak's brave, meticulous, moving reporting, delivered under the most awful of circumstances, has been recognised by the judges. A brilliant journalistic future is ahead of her.
