Mumbai : Photojournalist Danish Siddiqui, who died while reporting in Afghanistan in July, was on Wednesday posthumously given the Mumbai Press Club’s RedInk ‘Journalist of the Year’ award.
Chief Justice of India NV Ramana presented the award which was accepted by Siddiqui’s wife Frederike Siddiqui at a virtual function.
Paying tributes to Siddiqui, Live Law quoted CJI NV Ramana as saying that he was “a man with a magical eye”. “If a picture can convey a thousand words, his photos were novels,” the CJI added.
Offering condolences to Siddiqui’s family and friends, the CJI said war correspondents have a tough and risky job. He added that the photojournalist’s unfortunate passing brought to the fore the issue of sufficient safety protocols in conflict zones.
In his keynote address, the CJI spoke about the pressures faced by journalists in the age of cut-throat competition and social media amplification. Underscoring that press freedom was integral for proper functioning of democracy, CJI Ramana reminded that journalists should resist being co-opted by an ideology or the State.
Regardless of the ideology you profess and the beliefs you hold dear, you must do your duty without being influenced by them. You must report only the facts, with a view to give a complete and accurate picture”, the CJI said.
