Aisha Farrukh: Finalist Young Journalist of the Year 2024
Aisha Farrukh a multimedia journalist from Pakistan focuses on human interest stories and aims to create change through her storytelling. Twenty eight year old Aisha, who is head of content at the independent news network The Centrum Media, is one of three finalists in our competition to find the Young Journalists of the Year 2024.
“My motivation comes from all the subjects that I have interviewed over the last few years,” she says. “And the beliefs with which they have to tell me their stories as they hope that journalism can actually change their lives for better.”
Modern day slavery
In her documentary submitted for the Young Journalist Award, Aisha tells the stories of brick kiln workers who are bonded labourers, a practice human rights activists have called modern day slavery.
Across Pakistan, more than 3.5 million labourers are stuck in a cycle of bondage, among them a 17 year old teenager featured in Aisha’s documentary. His kidney was removed without his consent as part of an organ trafficking ring when his family failed to pay off a debt.
“Even when these bonded labourers are set free, they prefer to go back to the brick kilns and work in the harsh conditions because they are unable to survive in the real world with no education or skill other than brick making,” she says.
Challenges for journalists
Aisha says censorship and political pressures are among the many challenges facing journalists in Pakistan and financial instability in the news media industry leads to self-censorship especially when it comes to small and independent news media organisations.
“I feel extremely honoured to be a finalist for this prestigious award,” she says. “I hope to set an example for aspiring journalists, especially young women, to come forward and share their stories with the world.”
Young Journalist of the Year
The Thomson Foundation Young Journalist Award is open to journalists aged 30 and under from countries with a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of less than US$20,000. The annual competition is organised in partnership with the UK’s Foreign Press Association (FPA).
This year’s winner will be announced at the FPA’s Media Awards on November 25th in London.
