Submissions now open for the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize

The Press Club Brussels Europe has launched the website for submitting entries to the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism, which will be awarded in October. 

The Prize, with the support of the European Parliament, is a tribute to journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was assassinated in October 2017. 

The website was launched during an event held at the Press Club Brussels Europe in Brussels and was addressed by the Quaestor of the European Parliament David Casa. In his speech, MEP Casa said that through this newly established prize, the European Parliament is sending a strong message of its commitment towards the protection of journalists.

“Journalists should be free to carry their investigations without any threats or consequences. We cannot allow another journalist to be murdered because of his or her investigations. The Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism will not only serve as a well-deserved tribute to Daphne Caruana Galizia, but it will also serve as a reminder that the European Parliament will do its utmost to protect and defend journalists.

“Our message is clear to those who kill or threaten journalists: the European Parliament is your enemy. We will also not allow states to suppress freedom of speech,” Casa said.

The event was also addressed by Matthew Caruana Galizia, who thanked the European Parliament for its support and for the creation of this prize. “I want this Prize to encourage other journalists to increase their investigative work, and for individuals to become journalists and do this work. We need more people to join us in uncovering corruption and fight for justice in Europe and beyond,” Matthew Caruana Galizia said.

Head, Human Rights and Safety at International Federation of Journalists, Ernest Sagaga, pointed out that 31 journalists were killed in Europe over the last six years. “We have journalists currently under police protection in Italy. If the Italian government had not taken that decision, we would be mourning more of our colleagues for doing their jobs.”

Sagaga said that while Europe still favours better than other parts of the world, when it comes to press freedom and journalists being killed, he was starting to see a worrying trend. “Journalism is a public good... justice for Caruana Galizia is not only justice for her murder, but justice for media freedom.”

Submissions can be made either by journalists themselves on their investigative work, or else by other colleagues in the sector. Investigations must be published or broadcast by a media outlet in the European Union. The winner of the Prize will be chosen by an independent jury and will win €20,000.

 Submissions can be made on www.daphnejournalismprize.eu, with the call for applications being open until 1 September 2021.