Lyra McKee award ‘motivation’ for journalists around the world

The winner of the 2025 One Younger World ‘Lyra McKee Award for Bravery’ has stated it’s important individuals around the globe know Lyra’s identify.

Salma Niazi gained the award for her work reporting on the rights of ladies in Afghanistan.

For the reason that Taliban authorities took energy in 2021, ladies and women in Afghanistan have been barred from schooling above the age of 12, and confronted quite a few different rights violations.

The award is known as after Belfast journalist Lyra McKee, who was shot dead while observing rioting in Derry.

Ms Niazi, who based the Afghan Occasions in 2021, stated journalism acts as a voice for individuals who “can not communicate” as a result of oppression.

“If ladies are denied schooling, they’re denied their future. Journalists have a duty to talk for them”, she stated.

In 2021, the Taliban regained energy in Afghanistan and launched “morality legal guidelines”, which have meant ladies in Afghanistan have misplaced dozens of rights.

A costume code means they have to be absolutely lined and strict guidelines have banned them from travelling with no male chaperone or trying a person within the eye until they’re associated by blood or marriage.

Ms Niazi stated she was “actually scared” when the Taliban returned to energy, with journalists fleeing to Pakistan for security.

She stated successful the award is “particular”.

“Lyra McKee stood for fact and fearlessness, and receiving an award in her identify jogs my memory that journalism may give hope even within the darkest moments.

“It motivates me to maintain telling tales that have to be heard.”

Lyra McKee’s sister, Nichola Nook, stated the award is a “actually becoming tribute”.

“The truth that it is named after Lyra is so fantastic as a result of it reveals that individuals have recognised her achievement on this planet of journalism.”

Mrs Nook stated Lyra would have been “humbled”, “shocked”, and “delighted” by the award being named after her.

“Each single 12 months, Lyra’s identify will probably be on the market honouring different journalists, which she would have thought completely fantastic.”

Mrs Nook stated she hopes that the award, which she described as “extra necessary than ever”, will be sure that future generations keep in mind Lyra.

Nevertheless, Mrs Nook stated she nonetheless struggles with the lack of her sister.

“It is actually laborious to know why she was killed. She was so energetic, and so loving and beneficiant.

“Eleven months after Lyra was killed, our mum died. She died of a damaged coronary heart.”

Mrs Nook stated her uncle, who was sick on the time, died “inside minutes” of discovering out what had occurred to Lyra.

She stated that many individuals don’t realise the influence deaths like Lyra’s can have on households.

“That is why the the work of journalists who’re on the market telling the tales of the pointless deaths of civilians is so necessary. As a result of I understand how each a kind of individuals really feel.

“The work that the journalists are doing could stop deaths, and will stop extra households ending up like our household.”

Ms McKee was a author and campaigner from Belfast who had solely just lately moved to Derry when she was killed.

The 29-year-old was standing close to a police 4×4 automobile on the evening of 18 April 2019 when a masked gunman fired in direction of officers and onlookers.

Regarded by many as a rising star in Northern Eire media circles, she had written for a lot of publications, together with Buzzfeed, Personal Eye, the Atlantic and Mosaic Science.

She was named Sky Information younger journalist of the 12 months in 2006 and Forbes Journal named her as one in every of their “30 below 30” in media in Europe in 2016.

Plestia Alaqad, a journalist from Gaza, stated she had “blended feelings” about successful the award in 2024.

“Often successful an award is celebratory. It is completely different if you win an award named after a journalist who was killed.”

Ms Alaqad stated she wished she lived in a world the place the award didn’t exist.

She added that the continued killing of journalists reveals persons are “not studying from historical past”.

“I’d be unhappy if I received killed and an award was named after me.”

A minimum of 197 journalists and media staff have been killed because the warfare in Gaza started following the Hamas-led assault on Israel on 7 October 2023 – 189 of them Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza, in keeping with the US-based Committee to Shield Journalists (CPJ).

Ms Alaqad stated this has been the “deadliest” time to be a journalist in Palestine.

Nevertheless, Ms Alaqad stated these journalists killed in Gaza are inspiring individuals to hitch the trade.

“It typically feels as if everybody goes to be killed, so that they’d slightly be killed and never silenced.”

Ms Alaqad grew up in Gaza, and dreamt of working as a journalist from a younger age.

She stated too typically, protection of Palestine fails to cowl the day-to-day lives of regular individuals. She hopes that her work can show that Palestinians are similar to anybody else.

“Individuals in Gaza usually are not heroes. Circumstances are forcing them to be resilient.”

The Lyra McKee Award for Bravery was first awarded in 2023.

It recognises journalists who’re main voices for fact, justice and free speech, even in hostile environments, unstable settings, or below menace of retaliation.