[News] Group behind Emmys defends nomination of Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda

[Anti-Imperialist News]

 Group behind Emmys defends nomination of Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda

*The American body responds to an open letter from a pro-Israel nonprofit
and others, asking it to rescind the AJ+ contributor’s nomination.*
[image: Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda]
Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda [YouTube]
Published On 21 Aug 2024 -
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/8/21/group-behind-emmys-defends-nomination-of-palestinian-journalist-bisan-owda
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The National Academy for Television and Arts and Sciences (NATAS) has
defended its decision to nominate AJ+ contributor Bisan Owda for an Emmy
after Creative Community for Peace, a pro-Israel nonprofit organisation,
issued a letter criticising the nomination.

Owda, 25, from war-hit Gaza
<https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/9/bisan-owda-and-aj-win-peabody-award-for-gaza-war-coverage>,
was nominated along with AJ+ in the Outstanding Hard News Feature Story
category for the documentary, It’s Bisan from Gaza and I’m Still Alive. AJ+
is part of the Al Jazeera Media Network.

The documentary follows her journey as she is forced to leave her home in
Gaza City and displaced numerous times amid Israel’s 10-month war on Gaza
<https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/8/21/israels-war-on-gaza-live-israel-bombards-gaza-lebanon-us-says-deal-near>
.

The letter alleges Owda was affiliated with the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which she has denied. The PFLP is a
left-wing Palestinian political movement, and is designated a “terrorist
organisation” by several Western countries, including the United States.

Adam Sharp, the academy’s president and chief executive, defended the
nomination on Tuesday, saying that two panels, including experienced
journalists, had made the decision and that the academy had not found any
evidence that Owda was affiliated with the PFLP.

He said that past nominees had “been controversial, giving a platform to
voices that certain viewers may find objectionable or even abhorrent”, but
they were honoured “in the service of the journalistic mission to capture
every facet of the story”.

Al Jazeera issued a statement, saying it stood with Owda “in the face of
efforts to silence her reporting from Gaza”.

The media group described Owda as a “renowned journalist and influencer”
who “has significantly contributed to bringing news from Gaza to the world
with her unique style”.

Al Jazeera said the allegations were “baseless” and “an attempt to silence
Bisan and present a real threat to her safety on the ground”.

“The call for the Emmy nomination to be rescinded is nothing more than an
attempt to deny an important perspective to the global audience on the war
and its devastating impact on innocent civilians,” the statement read.
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