RT NOMINATED FOR INTERNATIONAL EMMY FOR IRAQ REPORTING

MOSCOW, AUGUST 7, 2018 – RT has received its fifth International Emmy Awards nomination for a series of special reports about the humanitarian crisis in the Iraqi city of Mosul, which has made the News category shortlist.

The nod brings the network’s total number of Emmy nominations to six. The latest project focused on the fallout from efforts by Iraqi government forces and their Western allies to recapture Mosul and the surrounding areas from Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS).

“Our journalists risked their lives in order to show the world the consequences of the operation meant to liberate the city of Mosul. I view their work with pride and admiration. This Emmy nomination is well-deserved,” said RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan.    

RT was one of the first international broadcasters to report on the suffering of the civilian population of Mosul as a government-led offensive against terrorists regularly saw the city being bombed. To raise awareness about the unfolding humanitarian disaster, RT launched the campaign #MosulSOS on social media in March 2017.

War Correspondent Murad Gazdiev talked to the local population fleeing their homes and reported on the massive scale of destruction caused by the coalition’s continued airstrikes. Through RT journalists, the world learned the story of five-year-old Hawraa, a girl who miraculously survived an airstrike on the city.

RT’s reports also highlighted expert opinions, including that of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Representative in Iraq Bruno Geddo, US Forces Commander in Iraq and Syria Lt. General Stephen Townsend, and the Senior Crisis Response Advisor for Amnesty International Donatella Rovera.

This is RT’s fifth News & Current Affairs nomination for the International Emmy Awards and sixth Emmy nomination overall. The channel was first nominated for an International Emmy in 2010, for its coverage of US President Barack Obama’s first visit to Moscow; in 2012, for coverage of the Occupy Wall Street protests in the US; in 2014, for a series of reports on a Guantanamo Bay inmates’ hunger strike; and in 2016, for its coverage of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly.

Chris Hedges, host of ‘On Contact with Chris Hedges,’ secured RT America its first Daytime Emmy nomination in 2017, as an Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host. Also in 2017, RT hosted Russia’s first ever semi-final round of judging in the news and documentary categories for the International Emmy Awards. The jury consisted of acclaimed Russian journalists and media executives.

The Emmy Awards, TV’s ‘Oscars,’ is one of television’s most prestigious awards competitions. This year’s winner for the International Emmy for ‘News’ will be announced at the ceremony on October 1 in New York.