Meera Devi, Managing Editor of Khabar Lahariya, and Pooja Pande, Co-CEO of Chambal Media
The Commonwealth Press Union (CPU) Media Trust’s Astor Award – one of the most prestigious and oldest press media freedom awards in the world, first presented in 1970 – has been presented this year to Khabar Lahariya. The Award honours our contribution to media freedom and investigative journalism, and commitment to diversity and equality.
Meera Devi, Managing Editor of Khabar Lahariya
Speaking at a reception in the House of Lords – where the Award was presented by the Rt Hon Sir John Whittingdale, MP, Minister of State for Media – CPU Chairman Lord Black of Brentwood said: “Our Trustees have this year decided unanimously to present the prestigious Astor Award to Khabar Lahariya in view of their exceptional contribution to media freedom, promoting independent quality journalism, championing diversity, and ground-breaking investigative reporting in often difficult and complex circumstances. They are worthy winners and we congratulate them.”
Receiving the Award, Meera Devi, Managing Editor of Khabar Lahariya, and Pooja Pande, Co-CEO of Chambal Media, parent company of Khabar Lahariya said:
“We’ve been fighting the good fight for under-represented voices since our inception in the early 2000s, because we strongly believe in the power of the word changing the world. While the journey itself is the greatest reward, a mighty recognition like the Astor Award really motivates us to continue doing the work, fighting the good fight. We’re very grateful to the CPU Media Trust for this honour.”
We are deeply honoured by this recognition and extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Commonwealth Press Union (CPU) Media Trust for this prestigious award. For further details, please find the official press release here.
About The Astor Award
The Astor Award, established in memory of Lord Astor of Hever, former President of the Commonwealth Press Union, is one of the oldest and most distinguished press freedom awards. Previous winners represent a remarkable cross-section of individuals who have made an enormous contribution to the Commonwealth newspaper industry, particularly in the field of press freedom. In recent years the Astor Award has been awarded posthumously to Daphne Caruana Galizia, assassinated in Malta, to the Pakistan Press Foundation and to the Human Rights Network in Uganda. Previous winners From India include CR Irani, Arun Shourie and Kuldip Nayar. A full list of previous winners can be found here.
About Khabar Lahariya
Khabar Lahariya is India’s only women-run independent rural news network, bringing hard-hitting and powerful investigative journalism, human interest stories, and vibrant cultural and entertainment content from the country’s remote areas with little access to news. Starting as a print newspaper in 2002, with hyperlocal content and stories often written from a feminist perspective for a rural and semi-rural audience, today has a network of 25 female reporters across six states in north India and a monthly viewership of up to 20 million.
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Read this press release in Hindi here.
‘यदि आप हमको सपोर्ट करना चाहते है तो हमारी ग्रामीण नारीवादी स्वतंत्र पत्रकारिता का समर्थन करें और हमारे प्रोडक्ट KL हटके का सब्सक्रिप्शन लें’
I recently watched the movie about KL with my wife. I am an older white man who has lived his entire life as an independent person and I recognize the incredible value of your paper and the journalists and ladies who develop and publish it. This award is well deserved and I applaud you from my deepest heart for your support of each other and for speaking out in a world that would rather not listen to you. What you need to know is that you do have an audience around the world that wants to hear what you have to report. We support your struggle for freedom and we do not recognize that your caste should be any impediment to you presenting the stories that you know are important. Women in India need emancipation from the male tyranny they live under today and your work leads in that direction. Thank you all for your great publication. Please be encouraged by a working class englishman who has endeavoured to live his life on his own terms instead of being subject to having his fate determined by his position in a discriminating society. England has its own caste system that dictates much of what a person can or cant do. I threw that away and lived outside the norm finding my own way and living my own dream. Now at 78 yrs old I look back with great satisfaction at a richly rewarding life lived inependently.
What I love most about your group of ladies is that you do not judge each other and you deeply encourage each member of your group to rise to the challenge and do their best and by so doing each of you grows in character, capability and experience. Please know you all do not face the challenges alone. Around the world many groups are rising to this challenge and in time you will find them. Your work and accomplishments are an inspiration.
Mr Les Braden Vancouver Canada