WINGS
February 4, 2019: Velvet Revolution in Media
Velvet Revolution is a documentary about women in media reporting on corruption and human rights and facing repercussions. Nupur Basu from India was the Executive Producer of this award-wining film, which was commissioned by the International Association of Women in Radio and Television in 2017. Nupur, who lives in India, coordinated six directors from Asia, Africa, the Pacific and North America. Voices from the film: Malini Subramanian, winner of the International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists; she reported from India’s Chhattisgarh state on human rights violations against tribals by government and insurgent forces; a right-wing vigilante group and the police forced her to leave. Najiba Ayubi co-founded the Afghan Independent Media Consortium and the Freedom of Expression Initiative. She puts radio stations on the air. She refused to censor news despite threats from police. Lyse Doucet, BBC’s Chief International Correspondent, discussed the advantages she found to being a western woman reporter in Afghanistan, as well as the fear of sexual assault. Marina Walker Guevara is Deputy Director of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists; she says the vast majority of journalists who are killed were investigating human rights violations. Rafida Bonya Ahmed from Bangledesh continues the blog her husband wrote until he was murdered. She was injured but survived and now now lives in the US.