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Ambassador Mussomeli (third from the right) with the top 5 winners of the investigative reporting awards.
US Honors Outstanding Investigative Reporting in Cambodia
Cambodiana Hotel, Phnom Penh
June 28, 2008
The Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ) announced the winners of its "Investigative Journalism Awards Competition" at a gala awards ceremony in Phnom Penh. The competition was organized with the support of the U.S. Embassy in order to encourage the Cambodian press to play a stronger watchdog role in the country's nascent democracy and to advocate for greater transparency. The winners of the competition were:
1st place: "Land Dispute and Abnormalities in Land Management in O'Chrov Area" by Mr. Oum Layum, Rasmei Kampuchea Newspaper (Prize: trophy & $1100)
2nd place: "Why are Public Services Not Efficient?" by Mr. Leang Delux, Cambodge Soir and Radio France International (Prize: trophy & $800)
3rd place: "Different Fates of Squatters Evicted from Phnom Penh" by Miss Ung Chan Sophea, Cambodge Soir (Prize: trophy & $600)
4th place: "Victims Accuse, Physicians Deny in Death of Patient" by Mr. Hang Sokmony, Social Magazine (Prize: $300)
5th place: "Paying High Commissions Is Not Good for Tourism in Cambodia" by Mr. Neth Pheaktra, Samnei Thmei and editor-in-chief of The Mekong Times (Prize: $300)
In his remarks at the awards ceremony, U.S. Ambassador Joseph A. Mussomeli said, " By bringing the issues you have written about to the attention of the Cambodian public, you are helping Cambodia to achieve the promise of democracy. Remember that you are the custodians of conscience for your country."
The idea for the competition came about during the 2006 visit of Pulitzer Prize winner Jerry Kammer to Phnom Penh to conduct a workshop on investigative journalism for a small group of Cambodian reporters. During the visit Mr. Kammer used his personal funds to help sponsor an awards program for the journalists in the workshop. The program was so successful in encouraging the journalists to write investigative news reports that the Embassy decided to work with CCJ to develop a program open to all Cambodian journalists.
The top ten entries were selected by a distinguished group of Cambodian journalists, with the top five winners determined by co-judges Munthit Ker (AP) and Jerry Kammer. The selection of all finalists and winners was done in a blind judging, meaning the judges were not informed of the name or media affiliation of the reporter who wrote each entry.
The Club of Cambodian Journalists is a neutral and independent non-profit organization whose missions are to promote press freedom, to protect journalists and professionalize the Cambodian media.
