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AFP launches 2015 Kate Webb prize for frontline journalism in Asia

Global news agency Agence France-Presse on Wednesday launched the 2015 edition of the Kate Webb prize, which is awarded to locally-hired journalists in Asia for exceptional coverage done in dangerous or difficult conditions. It carries a 3,000-euro ($3,300) cash prize and applications are open until May 8, 2015 at midnight Hong Kong time (1600 GMT). The winner will be announced in May and invited to a prize-giving ceremony in Asia.
 

The prize is named after Kate Webb, one of the finest correspondents to have worked for AFP, who died in 2007 at the age of 64. It is open to text, photo and video journalists.
 
“The prize has given recognition to a wide range of journalists. We look forward to more applications from photographers and multimedia journalists. Visual reportage is now at the forefront of journalism in Asia,” said AFP’s Asia-Pacific Director Gilles Campion. 
 
Born in New Zealand, Kate Webb earned a reputation as a fearless reporter while covering wars and other historic events in Asia during a career spanning four decades. She first made her name in Vietnam and also worked in Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, India, South Korea and the Middle East. She was known for her kindness and compassion and became a mentor to younger Asian journalists.
 
The prize is administered by the AFP Foundation – a non-profit-making organization set up to promote press freedom through training journalists in developing countries – and by the Webb family. 
 
Last year’s recipient was multimedia journalist Patricia Evangelista, who was cited for her compelling reporting on conflict and disaster in her native Philippines, including her powerful work on the impact of Typhoon Haiyan, which left more than 7,000 dead or missing.
 
This year’s prize is open to local reporters, photographers and broadcast journalists in Asia, including camera crew, for work done between January 1 and December 31, 2014.
Stringers and freelance journalists may submit entries as well.
Articles and broadcast material may be submitted in English or any Asian national language, provided that there is English translation which has been certified as accurate.
 
Details of the prize are available on the Kate Webb Prize Facebook page.
Applications should be sent to katewebbprize@afp.com.



About AFP
AFP is a global news agency delivering fast, accurate, in-depth coverage of the events shaping our world from conflicts to politics, sports, entertainment and the latest breakthroughs in health, science and technology. With 2,326 staff spread across almost every country, AFP covers the world 24 hours a day in six languages. AFP delivers the news in video, text, photos, multimedia and graphics to a wide range of customers including newspapers and magazines, radio and TV channels, web sites and portals, mobile operators, corporate clients as well as public institutions.
 

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