Excellence in International Reporting
ABOUT THE WORK: When the story was released in October, it gained wide attention. The English language version of the story ran at the Guardian US, NBCNews.com and ICIJ.org. NBC’s video version of the piece ran in early December. An Arabic version of the story appeared in seven news publications in the Middle East, including Daraj, Noon Post, Twala, Khoyout, Al Iqtisadi and Al Amunaqeboun.
After it was informed of the results of Mr. Acharya’s findings, Amazon acknowledged the substance of his reporting, admitting that some workers had been mistreated. In its statement, the company said it was “deeply concerned that some of our contract workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) were not treated with the standards we set forth, and the dignity and respect they deserve. We appreciate their willingness to come forward and report their experience.”
It pledged to implement stronger controls to “ensure similar incidents do not occur and to raise overall standards for workers in the region” — including “providing enhanced trainings for our third-party vendors on labor rights standards with a specific focus on recruitment, wages, and deception.” Amazon said it would also make sure that workers who paid recruiting fees get their money back.
Pramod Acharya is a freelance investigative journalist and documentary producer from Nepal. Over the years, Acharya has extensively covered the issues of forced labor, modern slavery, and human trafficking in Asia and the Persian Gulf. His recent investigations have been focused on the exploitation of Asian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia’s retail sector, Qatar’s construction sites, the experiences of human trafficking survivors and imprisoned workers in the Gulf, and the operations of trafficking rings in Asia and Arab nations. He also writes on the issues of climate change, human rights, and other social justice issues. His reporting and documentaries have been published in various international outlets, including The New York Times, The Guardian US/UK, Reuters, BBC, CNN, Channel 4, The Telegraph, The Times, Open Democracy, Financial Times, and Migrant-Rights.org.
Judges’ comments: "Acharya and his colleagues’ reports were the result of extensive interviews, a vast amount of evidence, and compassionate care. They drew worldwide attention to the complex nature of globalization, viewed through the struggles of migrant workers whose aspirations for a better life were dashed by officials at the second-largest Fortune 500 company. The reports are powerful, thought-provoking, and impactful.”
Honorable Mention: MJ Lee, “Israel-Hamas Hostage Release – Continuing Coverage” (1/2/3), CNN
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