Palestinian journalist wins News Emmy for Gaza war documentary

Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda won an Emmy award for outstanding hard news feature story—short form, for her documentary film titled 'It’s Bisan From Gaza and I’m Still Alive'.

The 45th Annual News & Documentary Emmys, hosted by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, unfolded on Wednesday in New York City. The first day of the News & Documentary Emmys presented awards to news stories while the second day gave awards to documentaries.

“This award is a testament to young Palestinian journalists and their professionalism. Bisan’s reporting has humanized the Palestinian story after decades of mainstream media’s systematic dehumanization of Palestinians. Winning this Emmy is a win for humanity. We feel extremely proud of this bright moment amidst ongoing genocide, and Bisan will continue reporting,” Dima Khatib, Managing Director of AJ+ Channels, said speaking to Al Jazeera.

It's Bisan from Gaza and I'm Still Alive

The film chronicles the early days of Israel’s war on Gaza, shown through the first-hand suffering of Owda and her family, as they navigate through regular bombings by the IDF. It is quite unfortunate that Owda could not be present at the ceremony herself as she continues to be trapped in the Gaza Strip, still providing regular updates to the world through social media.

"We’d like to thank the academy for this recognition, this award is testimony to the power of one woman, armed only with an iPhone who survived almost a year of bombardment,” John Laurence, senior executive producer at AJ+ remarked as he accepted the award on behalf of Owda.

Opposition to Nomination

Despite calls to omit Owda’s nomination by the CCP (Creative Community for Peace), an entertainment industry nonprofit that takes a firm stand against 'anti-semitism' and cultural boycotts of Israel, Owda managed to secure the prestigious award at the ceremony.