"Exemplary Reporting" Winners
Every three months, the Forum on the Arms Trade conducts a live poll recognizing exemplary reporting on Forum-related issues. You are welcome to email the Forum, at any time, to nominate a reporter for the next poll!
See previous winners: 2019 Jan-Mar | Apr-Jun | July-Sep | Oct-Dec 2018 Jan-Mar | 2017 Jan-Mar | Apr-Jun | Jul-Sep | Oct-Dec
2019
October-December "Exemplary Reporting" Winner: Kira Walker
Kira Walker
(Washington DC - January 24, 2019): Kira Walker’s November 27 article for Open Canada, “An environmental movement for times of war, too” was selected by voters as the best article in an online poll recognizing exemplary reporting from October 1 to December 31, 2019.
Ten articles were nominated by experts listed by the Forum on the Arms Trade for being exemplary journalism that uncovers new information and/or expertly explains issues related to the arms trade, security assistance, and weapons use that were published in the last quarter of 2019.
The article reports on increasingly dynamic efforts to protect the environment during armed conflict, including by the possible creation of a "Fifth Geneva Protocol." It outlines an array of existing legal agreements as well as recent calls from scientists for regulation of arms transfers and greater industry responsibility.
When asked what drew her to this story, Walker said, "I hoped to highlight the importance of strengthening environmental protection during armed conflict, because of the humanitarian implications, but also because I consider a clean and functioning environment is integral to peace and stability." In discussing how the arms trade relates to her reporting, she explained: "I’ve been following the work of a group of scientists who are researching biodiversity loss in the Sahara-Sahel. The uncontrolled circulation of arms and armed conflict in this region, in addition to causing immense human suffering, are significant drivers of illegal wildlife killings and biodiversity decline. This is an important but underreported dimension of the arms trade as it relates to the environment."
"The UN International Law Commission's ongoing work to clarify and develop the legal norms protecting the environment before, during and after armed conflicts is a hugely significant step forward for the protection of people and ecosystems. It has been a huge and complex initiative, and Kira's piece not only captured why the Commission's work is so important but did so in a way that made the legal deliberations accessible to the lay reader." said Doug Weir, the research and policy director at The Conflict and Environment Observatory.
Other nominations included: Bethan McKernan's "A father's grief and the Made in USA bomb dropped in Yemen" in The Guardian on October 3, 2019 (link); Kathy Elsinan's "The U.S. Gives Military Aid to Corrupt Countries All the Time" in The Atlantic on October 5, 2019 (link); Robin Emmott's "EU governments limit arms sales to Turkey but avoid embargo" in Reuters on October 14, 2019 (link); Anthony Capaccio's “Pentagon Backs Contractors to Limit Disclosing Foreign Discounts" in Bloomberg on October 23, 2019 (link); Mike Stone and David Shepardson's “Exclusive: Trump administration moves closer to easing gun exports" in Reuters on November 7, 2019 (link); Nima Elbagir, Salma Abdelaziz, Mohamed Abo El Gheit, Florence Davey-Attlee and Ed Upright's "Under shroud of secrecy US weapons arrive in Yemen despite Congressional outrage" in CNN on November 7, 2019 (link); John Ismay's “America’s Dark History of Killing Its Own Troops With Cluster Munitions" for New York Times on December 7, 2019 (link); Samantha McCabe’s “Why are Myanmar’s Landmine Casualties Growing" for SouthEast Asia Globe on December 9 (link); and NJonah M. Kessel, Natalie Reneau and Melissa Chan's “A.I. is making it easier to kill (you). Here’s how” (video, see also explainer) for New York Times on December 13, 2019 ().
Online voting was open January 19-23. The Forum maintains a list of media regularly covering related topics at http://www.forumarmstrade.org/journalists.html.
Ten articles were nominated by experts listed by the Forum on the Arms Trade for being exemplary journalism that uncovers new information and/or expertly explains issues related to the arms trade, security assistance, and weapons use that were published in the last quarter of 2019.
The article reports on increasingly dynamic efforts to protect the environment during armed conflict, including by the possible creation of a "Fifth Geneva Protocol." It outlines an array of existing legal agreements as well as recent calls from scientists for regulation of arms transfers and greater industry responsibility.
When asked what drew her to this story, Walker said, "I hoped to highlight the importance of strengthening environmental protection during armed conflict, because of the humanitarian implications, but also because I consider a clean and functioning environment is integral to peace and stability." In discussing how the arms trade relates to her reporting, she explained: "I’ve been following the work of a group of scientists who are researching biodiversity loss in the Sahara-Sahel. The uncontrolled circulation of arms and armed conflict in this region, in addition to causing immense human suffering, are significant drivers of illegal wildlife killings and biodiversity decline. This is an important but underreported dimension of the arms trade as it relates to the environment."
"The UN International Law Commission's ongoing work to clarify and develop the legal norms protecting the environment before, during and after armed conflicts is a hugely significant step forward for the protection of people and ecosystems. It has been a huge and complex initiative, and Kira's piece not only captured why the Commission's work is so important but did so in a way that made the legal deliberations accessible to the lay reader." said Doug Weir, the research and policy director at The Conflict and Environment Observatory.
Other nominations included: Bethan McKernan's "A father's grief and the Made in USA bomb dropped in Yemen" in The Guardian on October 3, 2019 (link); Kathy Elsinan's "The U.S. Gives Military Aid to Corrupt Countries All the Time" in The Atlantic on October 5, 2019 (link); Robin Emmott's "EU governments limit arms sales to Turkey but avoid embargo" in Reuters on October 14, 2019 (link); Anthony Capaccio's “Pentagon Backs Contractors to Limit Disclosing Foreign Discounts" in Bloomberg on October 23, 2019 (link); Mike Stone and David Shepardson's “Exclusive: Trump administration moves closer to easing gun exports" in Reuters on November 7, 2019 (link); Nima Elbagir, Salma Abdelaziz, Mohamed Abo El Gheit, Florence Davey-Attlee and Ed Upright's "Under shroud of secrecy US weapons arrive in Yemen despite Congressional outrage" in CNN on November 7, 2019 (link); John Ismay's “America’s Dark History of Killing Its Own Troops With Cluster Munitions" for New York Times on December 7, 2019 (link); Samantha McCabe’s “Why are Myanmar’s Landmine Casualties Growing" for SouthEast Asia Globe on December 9 (link); and NJonah M. Kessel, Natalie Reneau and Melissa Chan's “A.I. is making it easier to kill (you). Here’s how” (video, see also explainer) for New York Times on December 13, 2019 ().
Online voting was open January 19-23. The Forum maintains a list of media regularly covering related topics at http://www.forumarmstrade.org/journalists.html.
July-September "Exemplary Reporting" Winner: Paula Dupraz-Dobias
Paula Dupraz-Dobias
(Washington DC - October 24, 2019): Paula Dupraz-Dobias' September 2 article for The New Humanitarian, “The Arms Trade Treaty: Where export controls meet efforts to reduce sexual violence,” was selected by voters as the best article in an online poll recognizing exemplary reporting from July 1 to September 30, 2019.
Nine articles were nominated by experts listed by the Forum on the Arms Trade for being exemplary journalism that uncovers new information and/or expertly explains issues related to the arms trade, security assistance, and weapons use that were published in the third quarter of 2019.
The article covers the attention given to gender-based violence at the most recent annual conference of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) held in Geneva. It notes both the urgency for greater engagement with such violence and obstacles that prevent more meaningful action.
When asked what prompted her to cover this topic, Dupraz-Dobias stated that, as she lives in Geneva, she often covers "humanitarian and development stories relating to international organizations or initiatives based here or businesses linked to Switzerland." In writing the article, she hoped to describe "the humanitarian impact that the arms trade could have, in this case in helping to fuel gender-based violence." She added that it is "certainly important to report on the arms trade and create or maintain awareness of practices that may lead to the violation of human rights."
Dupraz-Dobias' work "highlights the opportunity export control instruments, such as the ATT have to tackle the devastating effects of arms related to gender-based violence, a phenomenon that is often underreported and ignored," said Verity Coyle, who coordinates the ATT Monitor for Control Arms. "Conversely, it also shows how that opportunity can be missed, through political and commercial decision making that at times trumps the full and effective implementation of those instruments by States."
"The article is welcomed for lifting up and calling attention to the gender-related outcomes of the Fifth Conference of States Parties," said Allison Pytlak, Programme Manager at Reaching Critical Will, the disarmament program of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. "Improving awareness of these outcomes is valuable for the next stage of moving from agreement into action. We also appreciate that it highlights the concerns of civil society about ATT implementation more broadly," added Pytlak.
Other nominations included: Eric Schmitt and Declan Walsh's "U.S. Missiles Found in Libyan Rebel Camp Were First Sold to France" in The New York Times on July 9, 2019 (link); Catie Edmondson's "House Votes to Block Arms Sales to Gulf Nations, Setting Up Trump’s Third Veto" in The New York Times on July 17 (link); Hannah Ellis-Petersen's "UK firm sold tech to Myanmar military, UN report says" in The Guardian on August 6, 2019 (link); Ellen Nakashima and Anne Gearan's “Trump administration plans $8 billion fighter jet sale to Taiwan, angering China" in The Washington Post on August 16 (link); Emma Graham-Harrison's “Money from arms sales dwarfs aid for Yemen" in The Guardian on September 7 (link); Marcus Weisgarber's "70 Percent of Americans Say Arms Sales Make US Less Safe" in Defense One on September 9 (link); Edith M. Lederer's “UN votes to ease arms embargo on Central African Republic" for the Associated Press on September 12 (link); and Nahlah Ayed's “Killer robots march into uncharted ethical territory” for CBC Radio on September 20 (link).
Online voting was open October 16-22. The Forum maintains a list of media covering related topics at http://www.forumarmstrade.org/journalists.html.
Nine articles were nominated by experts listed by the Forum on the Arms Trade for being exemplary journalism that uncovers new information and/or expertly explains issues related to the arms trade, security assistance, and weapons use that were published in the third quarter of 2019.
The article covers the attention given to gender-based violence at the most recent annual conference of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) held in Geneva. It notes both the urgency for greater engagement with such violence and obstacles that prevent more meaningful action.
When asked what prompted her to cover this topic, Dupraz-Dobias stated that, as she lives in Geneva, she often covers "humanitarian and development stories relating to international organizations or initiatives based here or businesses linked to Switzerland." In writing the article, she hoped to describe "the humanitarian impact that the arms trade could have, in this case in helping to fuel gender-based violence." She added that it is "certainly important to report on the arms trade and create or maintain awareness of practices that may lead to the violation of human rights."
Dupraz-Dobias' work "highlights the opportunity export control instruments, such as the ATT have to tackle the devastating effects of arms related to gender-based violence, a phenomenon that is often underreported and ignored," said Verity Coyle, who coordinates the ATT Monitor for Control Arms. "Conversely, it also shows how that opportunity can be missed, through political and commercial decision making that at times trumps the full and effective implementation of those instruments by States."
"The article is welcomed for lifting up and calling attention to the gender-related outcomes of the Fifth Conference of States Parties," said Allison Pytlak, Programme Manager at Reaching Critical Will, the disarmament program of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. "Improving awareness of these outcomes is valuable for the next stage of moving from agreement into action. We also appreciate that it highlights the concerns of civil society about ATT implementation more broadly," added Pytlak.
Other nominations included: Eric Schmitt and Declan Walsh's "U.S. Missiles Found in Libyan Rebel Camp Were First Sold to France" in The New York Times on July 9, 2019 (link); Catie Edmondson's "House Votes to Block Arms Sales to Gulf Nations, Setting Up Trump’s Third Veto" in The New York Times on July 17 (link); Hannah Ellis-Petersen's "UK firm sold tech to Myanmar military, UN report says" in The Guardian on August 6, 2019 (link); Ellen Nakashima and Anne Gearan's “Trump administration plans $8 billion fighter jet sale to Taiwan, angering China" in The Washington Post on August 16 (link); Emma Graham-Harrison's “Money from arms sales dwarfs aid for Yemen" in The Guardian on September 7 (link); Marcus Weisgarber's "70 Percent of Americans Say Arms Sales Make US Less Safe" in Defense One on September 9 (link); Edith M. Lederer's “UN votes to ease arms embargo on Central African Republic" for the Associated Press on September 12 (link); and Nahlah Ayed's “Killer robots march into uncharted ethical territory” for CBC Radio on September 20 (link).
Online voting was open October 16-22. The Forum maintains a list of media covering related topics at http://www.forumarmstrade.org/journalists.html.
April-June "Exemplary Reporting" Winners: Robbie Gramer and Lara Seligman
Gramer and Seligman
(Washington DC - July 29, 2019): Robbie Gramer and Lara Seligman's June 12 article for Foreign Policy, “Infuriating Congress, Trump Administration Keeps Pushing for Saudi Arms Sales,” was selected by voters as the best article in an online poll recognizing exemplary reporting from April 1 to June 30, 2019.
Ten articles were nominated by experts listed by the Forum on the Arms Trade for being exemplary journalism that uncovers new information and/or expertly explains issues related to the arms trade, security assistance, and weapons use that were published in the second quarter of 2019.
The article that reports on hearings and other Congressional responses to arms sales, which later led to Congressional rejection of emergency sales and a presidential veto, also discussed the ongoing crisis in Yemen and controversy regarding U.S. support to the Saudi-led coalition fighting there.
When asked about the importance of reporting on arms trade issues, Seligman said, "Very little attention is paid to the humanitarian situation in Yemen and other undercovered areas like Syria. We want to shed light on what’s actually happening on the ground while at the same time fairly representing the political realities of the US’ long-standing partnership with Saudi Arabia. Neither is well understood." In understanding the controversy today, she added, "Members of Congress are particularly incensed that the administration continuously tries to bypass normal legislative processes. The public outcry over the administration’s handling of the Khashoggi murder is adding fuel to the fire."
“Too often, the news media fail to question the administration’s claims about threats and 'emergencies' that involve national security. What Robbie Gramer and Lara Seligman have done is throw open the curtains on what would otherwise have been an insider spat, explaining the laws and revealing the congressional objections that didn’t make the headlines,” said Diana Ohlbaum, Senior Strategist and Legislative Director for Foreign Policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation.
Other nominations included: Bryan Schatz’s “While Trump Hyped Defense Jobs, Weapons Makers Were Exporting Their Operations Overseas” (link) in Mother Jones on April 4; Rebecca Kheel’s for reporting on concerns around weapons use in “Dem rep presses Trump officials on civilian casualties in Yemen” (link) in The Hill on April 9; Bill Chappell’s “Trump Moves To Withdraw U.S. From U.N. Arms Trade Treaty” (link) on National Public Radio on April 26; Karoun Demirjian and Missy Ryan’s “Senate fails to override Trump’s veto of resolution demanding end to U.S. involvement in Yemen war” (link) in the Washington Post on May 2; Gordon Lubold and Dion Nissenbaum’s “U.S. Plans More Troops for Mideast, Eyes Quick Arms Sales to Allies There” (link) in the Wall Street Journal on May 23; James Reinl‘s “Cheap drones are changing the calculus of war in Yemen” (link) on Public Radio International on June 3, 2019; Michael LaForgia and Walt Bogdanich’s in “Trump Allows High-Tech U.S. Bomb Parts to Be Built in Saudi Arabia” (link) in the The New York Times on June 7; Dan Sabbagh and Bethan McKernan’s “UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia unlawful, court of appeal declares” (link) in The Guardian on June 20; and Ruth Sherlock’s How Crop Fires Have Become The Latest Weapon Of War In Syria” (link) on National Public Radio on June 26.
Online voting was open from the 19th of July to the 25th. The Forum maintains a list of media covering related topics at http://www.forumarmstrade.org/journalists.html.
Ten articles were nominated by experts listed by the Forum on the Arms Trade for being exemplary journalism that uncovers new information and/or expertly explains issues related to the arms trade, security assistance, and weapons use that were published in the second quarter of 2019.
The article that reports on hearings and other Congressional responses to arms sales, which later led to Congressional rejection of emergency sales and a presidential veto, also discussed the ongoing crisis in Yemen and controversy regarding U.S. support to the Saudi-led coalition fighting there.
When asked about the importance of reporting on arms trade issues, Seligman said, "Very little attention is paid to the humanitarian situation in Yemen and other undercovered areas like Syria. We want to shed light on what’s actually happening on the ground while at the same time fairly representing the political realities of the US’ long-standing partnership with Saudi Arabia. Neither is well understood." In understanding the controversy today, she added, "Members of Congress are particularly incensed that the administration continuously tries to bypass normal legislative processes. The public outcry over the administration’s handling of the Khashoggi murder is adding fuel to the fire."
“Too often, the news media fail to question the administration’s claims about threats and 'emergencies' that involve national security. What Robbie Gramer and Lara Seligman have done is throw open the curtains on what would otherwise have been an insider spat, explaining the laws and revealing the congressional objections that didn’t make the headlines,” said Diana Ohlbaum, Senior Strategist and Legislative Director for Foreign Policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation.
Other nominations included: Bryan Schatz’s “While Trump Hyped Defense Jobs, Weapons Makers Were Exporting Their Operations Overseas” (link) in Mother Jones on April 4; Rebecca Kheel’s for reporting on concerns around weapons use in “Dem rep presses Trump officials on civilian casualties in Yemen” (link) in The Hill on April 9; Bill Chappell’s “Trump Moves To Withdraw U.S. From U.N. Arms Trade Treaty” (link) on National Public Radio on April 26; Karoun Demirjian and Missy Ryan’s “Senate fails to override Trump’s veto of resolution demanding end to U.S. involvement in Yemen war” (link) in the Washington Post on May 2; Gordon Lubold and Dion Nissenbaum’s “U.S. Plans More Troops for Mideast, Eyes Quick Arms Sales to Allies There” (link) in the Wall Street Journal on May 23; James Reinl‘s “Cheap drones are changing the calculus of war in Yemen” (link) on Public Radio International on June 3, 2019; Michael LaForgia and Walt Bogdanich’s in “Trump Allows High-Tech U.S. Bomb Parts to Be Built in Saudi Arabia” (link) in the The New York Times on June 7; Dan Sabbagh and Bethan McKernan’s “UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia unlawful, court of appeal declares” (link) in The Guardian on June 20; and Ruth Sherlock’s How Crop Fires Have Become The Latest Weapon Of War In Syria” (link) on National Public Radio on June 26.
Online voting was open from the 19th of July to the 25th. The Forum maintains a list of media covering related topics at http://www.forumarmstrade.org/journalists.html.
Jan-Mar "Exemplary Reporting" Winner: Jack Detsch
Jack Detsch
(Washington DC - April 25, 2019): Jack Detsch's March 8 story for Al-Monitor, “Trump blows off congressionally mandated Yemen certification,” was selected by voters as the best article in an online poll recognizing exemplary reporting from January 1 to March 31, 2019.
Ten articles were nominated by experts listed by the Forum on the Arms Trade for being exemplary journalism that uncovers new information and/or expertly explains issues related to the arms trade, security assistance, and weapons use that were published in the first quarter of 2019.
Detsch's article reports on a number of developments as relates to the war in Yemen. He captures Congressional efforts for oversight into US involvement, including requirements for certifications and War Power Resolutions, while also reminding of the humanitarian crisis and updating readers on the peace process at the time.
When asked if he felt Congress and the media are now paying close enough attention to these issues, Detsch replied yesterday that “No question the media is on this story. After President Trump’s veto of the War Powers resolution and the administration’s decision not to resume aerial refueling to the Saudi-led coalition, the White House can’t readily ramp support up for Saudi Arabia, and Congress doesn’t have a lot of angles left for oversight. Looking ahead, the press will be watching Congress as it tries to untangle the tricky legal questions that underpin US involvement in Yemen.”
"Jack Detsch's article epitomizes the type of journalism we have come to see and expect from Jack since he joined Al-Monitor. Not only does he regularly provide us with breaking news on US defense policy to the MENA region, but he takes the time to provide the necessary nuance and detailed context that truly helps the reader understand the story's potential impact," said Seth Binder, Advocacy Officer at the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED).
Detsch added that since the US first got involved in supporting Saudi Arabia and the war in Yemen, "the physical, human, and economic costs of the war for Yemen have only grown."
The runner-ups in the vote were Amanda Sperber's article drawing attention to civilian deaths caused by US airstrikes in Somalia in "Inside the Secretive US Air Campaign In Somalia," The Nation, February 7 (link) and Alex Yablon’s report drawing the connection between US firearms export policy and increased violence in Latin America in “Trump Is Sending Guns South as Migrants Flee North,” Foreign Policy, March 8 (link).
Other nominations included: Missy Ryan's "After bloody insurgent wars, Pentagon launches effort to prevent civilian deaths," Washington Post, February 4, 2019 (link); Nima Elbagir, Salma Abdelaziz, Mohamed Abo El Gheit and Laura Smith-Spark's "Sold to an ally, lost to an enemy," CNN, February 5, 2019 (link); Rebecca Kheel's "House passes bill to end US support for Saudi war in Yemen," The Hill, February 13, 2019 (link); David D. Kirkpatrick's “Land Mines Block Saudi-Led Assault in Yemen, Killing Civilians,” The New York Times, February 17, 2019 (link); Wesley Morgan's "Trump scraps requirement to report some air strikes," Politico, March 6, 2019 (link); Jonathan Beale's "RAF killed '4,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria'," BBC, March 7, 2019 (link); and Andrea Shalal's "World must keep lethal weapons under human control, says Germany," Reuters, March 15, 2019 (link).
Online voting was open from the 11th of April to the 22nd. The Forum maintains a list of media covering related topics at http://www.forumarmstrade.org/journalists.html.
Ten articles were nominated by experts listed by the Forum on the Arms Trade for being exemplary journalism that uncovers new information and/or expertly explains issues related to the arms trade, security assistance, and weapons use that were published in the first quarter of 2019.
Detsch's article reports on a number of developments as relates to the war in Yemen. He captures Congressional efforts for oversight into US involvement, including requirements for certifications and War Power Resolutions, while also reminding of the humanitarian crisis and updating readers on the peace process at the time.
When asked if he felt Congress and the media are now paying close enough attention to these issues, Detsch replied yesterday that “No question the media is on this story. After President Trump’s veto of the War Powers resolution and the administration’s decision not to resume aerial refueling to the Saudi-led coalition, the White House can’t readily ramp support up for Saudi Arabia, and Congress doesn’t have a lot of angles left for oversight. Looking ahead, the press will be watching Congress as it tries to untangle the tricky legal questions that underpin US involvement in Yemen.”
"Jack Detsch's article epitomizes the type of journalism we have come to see and expect from Jack since he joined Al-Monitor. Not only does he regularly provide us with breaking news on US defense policy to the MENA region, but he takes the time to provide the necessary nuance and detailed context that truly helps the reader understand the story's potential impact," said Seth Binder, Advocacy Officer at the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED).
Detsch added that since the US first got involved in supporting Saudi Arabia and the war in Yemen, "the physical, human, and economic costs of the war for Yemen have only grown."
The runner-ups in the vote were Amanda Sperber's article drawing attention to civilian deaths caused by US airstrikes in Somalia in "Inside the Secretive US Air Campaign In Somalia," The Nation, February 7 (link) and Alex Yablon’s report drawing the connection between US firearms export policy and increased violence in Latin America in “Trump Is Sending Guns South as Migrants Flee North,” Foreign Policy, March 8 (link).
Other nominations included: Missy Ryan's "After bloody insurgent wars, Pentagon launches effort to prevent civilian deaths," Washington Post, February 4, 2019 (link); Nima Elbagir, Salma Abdelaziz, Mohamed Abo El Gheit and Laura Smith-Spark's "Sold to an ally, lost to an enemy," CNN, February 5, 2019 (link); Rebecca Kheel's "House passes bill to end US support for Saudi war in Yemen," The Hill, February 13, 2019 (link); David D. Kirkpatrick's “Land Mines Block Saudi-Led Assault in Yemen, Killing Civilians,” The New York Times, February 17, 2019 (link); Wesley Morgan's "Trump scraps requirement to report some air strikes," Politico, March 6, 2019 (link); Jonathan Beale's "RAF killed '4,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria'," BBC, March 7, 2019 (link); and Andrea Shalal's "World must keep lethal weapons under human control, says Germany," Reuters, March 15, 2019 (link).
Online voting was open from the 11th of April to the 22nd. The Forum maintains a list of media covering related topics at http://www.forumarmstrade.org/journalists.html.
2018
Jan-Mar "Exemplary Reporting" Winner: Travis Waldron
Travis Waldron
(Washington DC - April 18, 2018): Travis Waldron's March 8 story for Huffington Post, “How Brazil’s ‘Lord Of Guns’ Armed Rio’s Drug War With U.S. Weapons,” was selected by voters as the best article in an online poll recognizing exemplary reporting from January 1 to March 31, 2018.
Ten articles were nominated by experts listed by the Forum on the Arms Trade for being exemplary journalism that uncovers new information and/or expertly explains issues related to the arms trade, security assistance, and weapons use that were published in the first quarter of 2018.
Waldron's article begins with a description of a smuggling operation gone wrong and moves on to recount how the trafficker (Frederik Barbieri) had developed and run his criminal empire, while examining gun violence issues in Brazil and the scale and nature of black-market arms trade with the United States.
When asked about why he felt it important to report on arms-related topics, Waldron responded: “[In understanding mass shootings in the US] I saw an opportunity to explore American gun policy through the lens of how our guns and gun policies might be inflicting violence on other parts of the world, and to highlight the fact that our gun industry is a global one and so our gun violence conversations need to be global in nature, too. The fact that our weapons are having profound impacts on countries where the affected populations have no voice in our gun debate is a massively under-covered issue."
"Travis Waldron hit two home-runs in his piece: first, he demonstrated how lax or non-existent US gun laws wreak havoc throughout the Americas, a reality that is relatively well-documented for Mexico and Central America but less so elsewhere in the hemisphere; second, he reminds us that even if the vast majority of the 40,000+ Brazilians killed each year with firearms are victims of Brazilian-made weapons, international trafficking can be devastating to local violence dynamics that rely on heavy weaponry use by organized crime, like in Rio de Janeiro,” said Daniel Mack, an independent consultant specializing on Brazil and Latin America.
Robert Muggah, co-founder and research director at the Brazil-based Igarapé Institute, added: ”for decades, the US has externalized the costs of its war on drugs. Travis Waldron shows how America also externalized the costs of its right to bare arms. Weak regulations on gun sales and possession mean that unscrupulous buyers can make a killing selling guns overseas. Waldron´s riveting story illustrates how a single Brazilian arms dealer living in Miami supplied Rio de Janeiro´s most ruthless drug trafficking organizations for decades."
Waldron went on to remark, “there's not nearly enough public awareness of the impact American weapons are having around the world, especially in places that aren't active war zones. To use Latin America as an example, I think a lot of Americans look at the drug wars taking place in Rio or Mexico and think of them as inherently violent places with their own major gun problems -- with little or no realization that American-made weapons are in many cases fueling that violence, or at least contributing to it. Or worse, they just think that's the way it is and always will be.”
The runner-ups in the vote were Matt Spetalnick and Mike Stone's report on the Trump Administration’s planned deregulation reforms and promotion of foreign arms sales in “Exclusive: Trump to call on Pentagon, diplomats to play bigger arms sales role - sources,” Reuters, January 8 (link) and Bertil Lintner’s' report on the shadowy and illicit arms trade between North Korea and Myanmar in “North Korea, Myanmar in sanctions-busting embrace,” Asia Times, February 8 (link).
Other nominations included: Thomas Grove and Julian E. Barnes’s “U.S., Ukraine Try to Ensure Weapons Don’t Fall to Enemy,” Wall Street Journal, January 4 (link); Steven Chase's “Canada selling helicopters to Philippines despite human rights concerns,” The Globe and Mail, February 6 (link); Karen McVeigh's “'Crucial step' hailed as more than 300 child soldiers released in South Sudan,” The Guardian, February 8 (link); David Axe's “Made in America, But Lost in Iraq,” Foreign Policy, March 2 (link); Mandy Smithberger's “The Pentagon Robbed Taxpayers of $16 Billion,” War is Boring, March 5 (link); Jamie Merrill's “EXCLUSIVE: Huge rise in Britain's secretive arms sales to Saudi Arabia,” Middle East Eye, March 5 (link); and Kareem Fahim and Missy Ryan's “U.S. is resisting calls to end its support for Saudi-led coalition in Yemen’s war,” Washington Post, March 20 (link).
Online voting was open from the 5th of April to the 17th. The Forum maintains a list of media covering related topics at http://www.forumarmstrade.org/journalists.html.
Ten articles were nominated by experts listed by the Forum on the Arms Trade for being exemplary journalism that uncovers new information and/or expertly explains issues related to the arms trade, security assistance, and weapons use that were published in the first quarter of 2018.
Waldron's article begins with a description of a smuggling operation gone wrong and moves on to recount how the trafficker (Frederik Barbieri) had developed and run his criminal empire, while examining gun violence issues in Brazil and the scale and nature of black-market arms trade with the United States.
When asked about why he felt it important to report on arms-related topics, Waldron responded: “[In understanding mass shootings in the US] I saw an opportunity to explore American gun policy through the lens of how our guns and gun policies might be inflicting violence on other parts of the world, and to highlight the fact that our gun industry is a global one and so our gun violence conversations need to be global in nature, too. The fact that our weapons are having profound impacts on countries where the affected populations have no voice in our gun debate is a massively under-covered issue."
"Travis Waldron hit two home-runs in his piece: first, he demonstrated how lax or non-existent US gun laws wreak havoc throughout the Americas, a reality that is relatively well-documented for Mexico and Central America but less so elsewhere in the hemisphere; second, he reminds us that even if the vast majority of the 40,000+ Brazilians killed each year with firearms are victims of Brazilian-made weapons, international trafficking can be devastating to local violence dynamics that rely on heavy weaponry use by organized crime, like in Rio de Janeiro,” said Daniel Mack, an independent consultant specializing on Brazil and Latin America.
Robert Muggah, co-founder and research director at the Brazil-based Igarapé Institute, added: ”for decades, the US has externalized the costs of its war on drugs. Travis Waldron shows how America also externalized the costs of its right to bare arms. Weak regulations on gun sales and possession mean that unscrupulous buyers can make a killing selling guns overseas. Waldron´s riveting story illustrates how a single Brazilian arms dealer living in Miami supplied Rio de Janeiro´s most ruthless drug trafficking organizations for decades."
Waldron went on to remark, “there's not nearly enough public awareness of the impact American weapons are having around the world, especially in places that aren't active war zones. To use Latin America as an example, I think a lot of Americans look at the drug wars taking place in Rio or Mexico and think of them as inherently violent places with their own major gun problems -- with little or no realization that American-made weapons are in many cases fueling that violence, or at least contributing to it. Or worse, they just think that's the way it is and always will be.”
The runner-ups in the vote were Matt Spetalnick and Mike Stone's report on the Trump Administration’s planned deregulation reforms and promotion of foreign arms sales in “Exclusive: Trump to call on Pentagon, diplomats to play bigger arms sales role - sources,” Reuters, January 8 (link) and Bertil Lintner’s' report on the shadowy and illicit arms trade between North Korea and Myanmar in “North Korea, Myanmar in sanctions-busting embrace,” Asia Times, February 8 (link).
Other nominations included: Thomas Grove and Julian E. Barnes’s “U.S., Ukraine Try to Ensure Weapons Don’t Fall to Enemy,” Wall Street Journal, January 4 (link); Steven Chase's “Canada selling helicopters to Philippines despite human rights concerns,” The Globe and Mail, February 6 (link); Karen McVeigh's “'Crucial step' hailed as more than 300 child soldiers released in South Sudan,” The Guardian, February 8 (link); David Axe's “Made in America, But Lost in Iraq,” Foreign Policy, March 2 (link); Mandy Smithberger's “The Pentagon Robbed Taxpayers of $16 Billion,” War is Boring, March 5 (link); Jamie Merrill's “EXCLUSIVE: Huge rise in Britain's secretive arms sales to Saudi Arabia,” Middle East Eye, March 5 (link); and Kareem Fahim and Missy Ryan's “U.S. is resisting calls to end its support for Saudi-led coalition in Yemen’s war,” Washington Post, March 20 (link).
Online voting was open from the 5th of April to the 17th. The Forum maintains a list of media covering related topics at http://www.forumarmstrade.org/journalists.html.
2017
Oct- Dec "Exemplary Reporting" Winner: Iona Craig
Iona Craig
(Washington, D.C., January 18, 2018) — Iona Craig's December 12 story in The Guardian, “Bombed into famine: how Saudi air campaign targets Yemen’s food supplies,” was selected by voters as the best article in an online poll recognizing exemplary reporting from October 1 to December 31, 2017. Craig is a British-Irish independent journalist focusing on Yemen and the Arabian Peninsula.
Ten articles were nominated by experts listed by the Forum on the Arms Trade for being exemplary journalism that uncovers new information and/or expertly explains issues related to the arms trade, security assistance, and weapons use that were published in the fourth quarter of 2017.
Craig's article begins with quotes from some of seven fishermen whose boat was attacked by helicopter and goes on to discuss the targeting of boats offshore and farm fields in Yemen, supported by the supply of weapons to Saudi-led forces by Western countries, particularly the United Kingdom. Through this and many other articles, Craig has brought the stories of individuals to light while making connections to arms sales in what has been called today's worst humanitarian disaster.
When asked about why she felt it important to discuss arms sales in relation to the situation in Yemen, Craig said it's "incredibly important to make sure there is an understanding of the connection between arms sales and their use in the weaponization of food in a country where 8 million people are facing famine. Countries selling arms are, by that connection, complicit in a planned tactic of mass starvation." Her full response is available here.
"Simply put: the journalism world needs more people like Iona Craig. Without courageous reporters like her, the world would continue to be kept in the dark about atrocities committed in Yemen," said Kate Kizer, policy director at Win Without War. "Her intrepid reporting is one of the few reasons we know the devastating effects of the Saudi-led coalition's airstrikes and United States' drone strikes on Yemeni civilians today," Kizer added.
Craig also noted, “I feel there is an interest in these topics but not always wider public awareness. In addition, there's often a complacent acceptance that the field of arms trade, security assistance and weapons use are just part of how the world works. There is a lot of great reporting on these issues. But, by their nature they are complex and opaque industries, which means reporting on them is often time consuming and thereby expensive for media outlets.”
The runner-ups in the vote were Matt Spetalnick and Mike Stone's examination of expected changes in drone export rules to promote a “Buy American” approach in “Exclusive - Game of Drones: U.S. Poised to Boost Unmanned Aircraft Exports,”Reuters, October 11 (link), and the team of John Ismay, Thomas Gibbons-Neff and C.J. Chivers' in-depth analysis of how the Islamic State developed weapons developed in “How ISIS Produced Its Cruel Arsenal on an Industrial Scale,” The New York Times, December 11 (link).
Other nominations included: Joby Warrick's “A North Korean ship was seized off Egypt with a huge cache of weapons destined for a surprising buyer,” Washington Post, October 1 (link); Wesley Morgan and Bryan Bender's “America’s Shadow War in Africa,” Politico, October 12 (link); Joe Gould's “US House calls military's role in Yemen civil war unauthorized,” Defense News, November 14 (link); Jason Szep and Matt Spetalnick's “U.S. diplomats accuse Tillerson of breaking child soldiers law,” Reuters, November 21 (link); Karen McVeigh's “Rules of war ‘need urgent review’ as civilian deaths hit record high,” The Guardian, November 24 (link); Helene Cooper and Eric Schmitt's “Niger Approves Armed U.S. Drone Flights, Expanding Pentagon’s Role in Africa,” The New York Times, November 30 (link); and Missy Ryan and Josh Dawsey's “Why Trump lashed out at Saudi Arabia about its role in Yemen’s war,” Washington Post, December 29 (link).
Online voting was open from January 10th to 17th. The Forum maintains a list of media covering related topics at http://www.forumarmstrade.org/journalists.html.
Ten articles were nominated by experts listed by the Forum on the Arms Trade for being exemplary journalism that uncovers new information and/or expertly explains issues related to the arms trade, security assistance, and weapons use that were published in the fourth quarter of 2017.
Craig's article begins with quotes from some of seven fishermen whose boat was attacked by helicopter and goes on to discuss the targeting of boats offshore and farm fields in Yemen, supported by the supply of weapons to Saudi-led forces by Western countries, particularly the United Kingdom. Through this and many other articles, Craig has brought the stories of individuals to light while making connections to arms sales in what has been called today's worst humanitarian disaster.
When asked about why she felt it important to discuss arms sales in relation to the situation in Yemen, Craig said it's "incredibly important to make sure there is an understanding of the connection between arms sales and their use in the weaponization of food in a country where 8 million people are facing famine. Countries selling arms are, by that connection, complicit in a planned tactic of mass starvation." Her full response is available here.
"Simply put: the journalism world needs more people like Iona Craig. Without courageous reporters like her, the world would continue to be kept in the dark about atrocities committed in Yemen," said Kate Kizer, policy director at Win Without War. "Her intrepid reporting is one of the few reasons we know the devastating effects of the Saudi-led coalition's airstrikes and United States' drone strikes on Yemeni civilians today," Kizer added.
Craig also noted, “I feel there is an interest in these topics but not always wider public awareness. In addition, there's often a complacent acceptance that the field of arms trade, security assistance and weapons use are just part of how the world works. There is a lot of great reporting on these issues. But, by their nature they are complex and opaque industries, which means reporting on them is often time consuming and thereby expensive for media outlets.”
The runner-ups in the vote were Matt Spetalnick and Mike Stone's examination of expected changes in drone export rules to promote a “Buy American” approach in “Exclusive - Game of Drones: U.S. Poised to Boost Unmanned Aircraft Exports,”Reuters, October 11 (link), and the team of John Ismay, Thomas Gibbons-Neff and C.J. Chivers' in-depth analysis of how the Islamic State developed weapons developed in “How ISIS Produced Its Cruel Arsenal on an Industrial Scale,” The New York Times, December 11 (link).
Other nominations included: Joby Warrick's “A North Korean ship was seized off Egypt with a huge cache of weapons destined for a surprising buyer,” Washington Post, October 1 (link); Wesley Morgan and Bryan Bender's “America’s Shadow War in Africa,” Politico, October 12 (link); Joe Gould's “US House calls military's role in Yemen civil war unauthorized,” Defense News, November 14 (link); Jason Szep and Matt Spetalnick's “U.S. diplomats accuse Tillerson of breaking child soldiers law,” Reuters, November 21 (link); Karen McVeigh's “Rules of war ‘need urgent review’ as civilian deaths hit record high,” The Guardian, November 24 (link); Helene Cooper and Eric Schmitt's “Niger Approves Armed U.S. Drone Flights, Expanding Pentagon’s Role in Africa,” The New York Times, November 30 (link); and Missy Ryan and Josh Dawsey's “Why Trump lashed out at Saudi Arabia about its role in Yemen’s war,” Washington Post, December 29 (link).
Online voting was open from January 10th to 17th. The Forum maintains a list of media covering related topics at http://www.forumarmstrade.org/journalists.html.
July- Sept "Exemplary Reporting" Winners: Ivan Angelovski and Lawrence Marzouk
Angelovski and Marzouk
(Washington, D.C., October 17, 2017) — Ivan Angelovski and Lawrence Marzouk’s September 12 Balkan Investigative Reporting Network story “The Pentagon's $2.2 Billion Soviet Arms Pipeline Flooding Syria,” was selected by voters as the best article in an online poll recognizing exemplary reporting from July 1 to September 30.
Eleven articles were nominated by experts listed by the Forum on the Arms Trade for being exemplary journalism that uncovers new information and/or expertly explains issues related to the arms trade, security assistance and weapons use that were published in the third quarter of 2017.
Angelovski and Marzouk’s story traces programs to arm Syrian rebels, aided by questionable use of end-user certificates and what they call "misleading" legal documents. They identify the supply of AK-47’s, rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons, often from the Balkans, eastern Europe and former Soviet Unition factories and inventories, as being led by the US military’s Special Operations Command, SOCOM, as well as the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey.
When asked about why they felt it important to report on apparent abuses within the system for conducting arms transfers, Angelovski and Marzouk said "The rules are supposed to prevent weapons ending up with terrorists, criminals and rogue states. Countries which have signed up to these rules should abide by them. Breaches of these rules presents a real, current risk to the world, but more troubling is the long-term impact if the whole system is undermined."
"The type of deep dive investigative reporting that Ivan Angelovski and Lawrence Marzouk have done here is difficult and extremely valuable. Drawing attention to how the arms trade is conducted, with specific identification of international actors who often bend if not outright skirt the rules, reminds us that diligence is needed at all levels," said Jeff Abramson, an arms trade expert and senior fellow at the Arms Control Association. “As the Trump administration moves forward with new arms sales and security assistance, their findings serve as examples of how to examine whether it proceeds responsibly,” Abramson added.
Angelovski and Marzouk also noted, “There's actually a lot of quality reporting on arms trade, security assistance and weapons use. All the articles that were nominated for exemplary reporting, as well as previous winners and nominees, are great examples of quality reporting. However, there is not enough media awareness of the issue, partly as it requires some specialist knowledge to begin to find interesting stories and understand their importance. Few journalists have this know-how or the time to learn.”
The runner-up in the vote was Joe Gould's article on possible export reform changes in “US Lawmakers Balk at Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Nigeria,” Defense News September 26 ( link). The second runner-up was Karen McVeigh’s piece on the humanitarian assistance needs children face and new findings on child soldiers in “Child soldier recruits double in one year in Middle East and North Africa,” The Guardian, September 11 (link).
Other nominations included: Greg Jaffe’s, “The Watchers: Airmen who surveil the Islamic State never get to look away,” Washington Post, July 6 (link); Jon Stone and Bethan McKernan’s “Government not breaking law by selling arms to Saudi Arabia, High Court rules,” Independent, July 10 (link); Samuel Oakford’s “US Doubled Fuel Support for Saudi Bombing Campaign in Yemen After Deadly Strike on a Funeral,” The Intercept, July 13 (link); Jack Detsch’s “Trump Says Al-Qaeda Received US Weapons Intended for Syrian Rebels,” Al-Monitor, August 1(link); Emran Feroz’s “Fearful Villagers See the U.S. Using Afghanistan as a “Playground for their Weapons.” The Intercept, August 15 (link); Helene Cooper’s “Pentagon Hopes to Declassify Hidden Threat in Mosul: ‘Dud’ U.S. Bombs,” New York Times, August 17 (link); Geoffrey York’s “Canadian firms part of arms sales to Nigeria,” The Globe and Mail, September 13 (link); Charlie Savage and Eric Schmitt’s “Trump Poised to Drop Some Limits on Drone Strikes and Commando Raids,” New York Times, September 21 (link); and Joe Gould’s “US Lawmakers Balk at Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Nigeria,” Defense News, September 26 (link).
Online voting was open from October 11th to 16th. The Forum maintains a list of media covering related topics at http://www.forumarmstrade.org/journalists.html. A new poll will be conducted in early January to recognize exemplary reporting.
Eleven articles were nominated by experts listed by the Forum on the Arms Trade for being exemplary journalism that uncovers new information and/or expertly explains issues related to the arms trade, security assistance and weapons use that were published in the third quarter of 2017.
Angelovski and Marzouk’s story traces programs to arm Syrian rebels, aided by questionable use of end-user certificates and what they call "misleading" legal documents. They identify the supply of AK-47’s, rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons, often from the Balkans, eastern Europe and former Soviet Unition factories and inventories, as being led by the US military’s Special Operations Command, SOCOM, as well as the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey.
When asked about why they felt it important to report on apparent abuses within the system for conducting arms transfers, Angelovski and Marzouk said "The rules are supposed to prevent weapons ending up with terrorists, criminals and rogue states. Countries which have signed up to these rules should abide by them. Breaches of these rules presents a real, current risk to the world, but more troubling is the long-term impact if the whole system is undermined."
"The type of deep dive investigative reporting that Ivan Angelovski and Lawrence Marzouk have done here is difficult and extremely valuable. Drawing attention to how the arms trade is conducted, with specific identification of international actors who often bend if not outright skirt the rules, reminds us that diligence is needed at all levels," said Jeff Abramson, an arms trade expert and senior fellow at the Arms Control Association. “As the Trump administration moves forward with new arms sales and security assistance, their findings serve as examples of how to examine whether it proceeds responsibly,” Abramson added.
Angelovski and Marzouk also noted, “There's actually a lot of quality reporting on arms trade, security assistance and weapons use. All the articles that were nominated for exemplary reporting, as well as previous winners and nominees, are great examples of quality reporting. However, there is not enough media awareness of the issue, partly as it requires some specialist knowledge to begin to find interesting stories and understand their importance. Few journalists have this know-how or the time to learn.”
The runner-up in the vote was Joe Gould's article on possible export reform changes in “US Lawmakers Balk at Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Nigeria,” Defense News September 26 ( link). The second runner-up was Karen McVeigh’s piece on the humanitarian assistance needs children face and new findings on child soldiers in “Child soldier recruits double in one year in Middle East and North Africa,” The Guardian, September 11 (link).
Other nominations included: Greg Jaffe’s, “The Watchers: Airmen who surveil the Islamic State never get to look away,” Washington Post, July 6 (link); Jon Stone and Bethan McKernan’s “Government not breaking law by selling arms to Saudi Arabia, High Court rules,” Independent, July 10 (link); Samuel Oakford’s “US Doubled Fuel Support for Saudi Bombing Campaign in Yemen After Deadly Strike on a Funeral,” The Intercept, July 13 (link); Jack Detsch’s “Trump Says Al-Qaeda Received US Weapons Intended for Syrian Rebels,” Al-Monitor, August 1(link); Emran Feroz’s “Fearful Villagers See the U.S. Using Afghanistan as a “Playground for their Weapons.” The Intercept, August 15 (link); Helene Cooper’s “Pentagon Hopes to Declassify Hidden Threat in Mosul: ‘Dud’ U.S. Bombs,” New York Times, August 17 (link); Geoffrey York’s “Canadian firms part of arms sales to Nigeria,” The Globe and Mail, September 13 (link); Charlie Savage and Eric Schmitt’s “Trump Poised to Drop Some Limits on Drone Strikes and Commando Raids,” New York Times, September 21 (link); and Joe Gould’s “US Lawmakers Balk at Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Nigeria,” Defense News, September 26 (link).
Online voting was open from October 11th to 16th. The Forum maintains a list of media covering related topics at http://www.forumarmstrade.org/journalists.html. A new poll will be conducted in early January to recognize exemplary reporting.
April- June "Exemplary Reporting" Winner: Marcus Weisgerber
Marcus Weisgerber
(Washington, D.C., July 14, 2017) — Marcus Weisgerber’s May 22 Defense One story "What Really Matters in Trump’s $110B Saudi Arms Package" was selected by voters as the best article in an online poll recognizing exemplary reporting from April through June 2017.
Ten articles were nominated by experts listed by the Forum on the Arms Trade for being exemplary journalism that uncovers new information and/or expertly explains issues related to the arms trade, security assistance and weapons use that were published in the second quarter of 2017.
On May 20, Donald Trump announced the sale of $110 billion in arms to Saudi Arabia during his first stop on his first international trip as U.S. president (see resource page). At that time, and still today, it is difficult to determine what items and services would be new and which would be carryover from the Obama administration, as well as when sales would be notified to Congress for their review. Weisgerber’s article was one of the first to dig deeply into these details.
When asked about developments since writing the article, Weisberger, the global business editor for Defense One, said "Since President Trump announced the $110 billion in arms deals with Saudi Arabia, we have only some new details. Billions of dollars of the deal are still counted for weapons that have not yet been identified. The State Department has approved more than 40 arms deals since President Trump took office in January. At the onset, it appears arms deals will play a large role in the Trump administration's foreign policy, just as they did during the Obama presidency."
"Marcus Weisgerber has led the way in writing about foreign military sales, expertly explaining the ins and outs of U.S. policy, including clarifying the welter of often confusing numbers that have been thrown out on questions like the value of arms exports the Trump administration may actually end up offering to Saudi Arabia. He regularly tracks trends in global sales, and provides timely updates on breaking deals. I, for one, would have a hard time doing my work on these issues without access to Marcus's excellent reporting," said William Hartung, an arms trade expert and director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy.
In discussing more broadly awareness about the arms trade, Weisgerber added, "While major arms deals, like the Saudi one announced earlier this year, get a lot of public attention, there are tens of billions of dollars in other weapons and support deals they do not make headlines. In my opinion, the Pentagon and State should do a better job in explaining why these deals matter."
The runner-up in the vote was Ashifa Kassam's article on a Canadian military initiative to prepare troops to face child soldiers in combat in “'React first': Canadian army issues guide to dealing with child soldiers,” The Guardian, May 19 (link). The second runner-up was Sarah Topol's piece recounting the story of four Nigerian children abducted to be child soldiers under Boko Haram in “Trained to Kill: How Four Boy Soldiers Survived Boko Haram,” New York Times Magazine, June 21 (link).
Other nominations included: Bryan Schatz's, "The United States Dropped a 21,600-Pound Bomb in Afghanistan," Mother Jones, Apr. 13 (link); Murtaza Hussain's "Trump's Deepening Embrace of Bahrain's Repressive Monarchy May Lead to More Instability," The Intercept, April 14 (link); Sarah McCammon's “The Warfare May Be Remote But The Trauma Is Real,” NPR, April 24 (link); Nabih Bulos's “What's that drone flying in over the horizon? It's a scout from Islamic State,” Los Angeles Times, May 26 (link); Thomas Gibbons-Neff's “Pentagon plan to track weapons provided to Syrian forces is problematic, experts say,” Washington Post, June 2 (link); Howard Altschiller's “Mother pleads with U.S. to stem flow of firearms,” SeacoastOnline, June 4 (link); and Helene Cooper's “Senate Narrowly Backs Trump Weapons Sale to Saudi Arabia,” New York Times, June 13 (link).
Online voting was open from July 11 to 14. The Forum maintains a list of media covering related topics at http://www.forumarmstrade.org/journalists.html. A new poll will be conducted in early October to recognize exemplary reporting from July 1 to September 30.
Ten articles were nominated by experts listed by the Forum on the Arms Trade for being exemplary journalism that uncovers new information and/or expertly explains issues related to the arms trade, security assistance and weapons use that were published in the second quarter of 2017.
On May 20, Donald Trump announced the sale of $110 billion in arms to Saudi Arabia during his first stop on his first international trip as U.S. president (see resource page). At that time, and still today, it is difficult to determine what items and services would be new and which would be carryover from the Obama administration, as well as when sales would be notified to Congress for their review. Weisgerber’s article was one of the first to dig deeply into these details.
When asked about developments since writing the article, Weisberger, the global business editor for Defense One, said "Since President Trump announced the $110 billion in arms deals with Saudi Arabia, we have only some new details. Billions of dollars of the deal are still counted for weapons that have not yet been identified. The State Department has approved more than 40 arms deals since President Trump took office in January. At the onset, it appears arms deals will play a large role in the Trump administration's foreign policy, just as they did during the Obama presidency."
"Marcus Weisgerber has led the way in writing about foreign military sales, expertly explaining the ins and outs of U.S. policy, including clarifying the welter of often confusing numbers that have been thrown out on questions like the value of arms exports the Trump administration may actually end up offering to Saudi Arabia. He regularly tracks trends in global sales, and provides timely updates on breaking deals. I, for one, would have a hard time doing my work on these issues without access to Marcus's excellent reporting," said William Hartung, an arms trade expert and director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy.
In discussing more broadly awareness about the arms trade, Weisgerber added, "While major arms deals, like the Saudi one announced earlier this year, get a lot of public attention, there are tens of billions of dollars in other weapons and support deals they do not make headlines. In my opinion, the Pentagon and State should do a better job in explaining why these deals matter."
The runner-up in the vote was Ashifa Kassam's article on a Canadian military initiative to prepare troops to face child soldiers in combat in “'React first': Canadian army issues guide to dealing with child soldiers,” The Guardian, May 19 (link). The second runner-up was Sarah Topol's piece recounting the story of four Nigerian children abducted to be child soldiers under Boko Haram in “Trained to Kill: How Four Boy Soldiers Survived Boko Haram,” New York Times Magazine, June 21 (link).
Other nominations included: Bryan Schatz's, "The United States Dropped a 21,600-Pound Bomb in Afghanistan," Mother Jones, Apr. 13 (link); Murtaza Hussain's "Trump's Deepening Embrace of Bahrain's Repressive Monarchy May Lead to More Instability," The Intercept, April 14 (link); Sarah McCammon's “The Warfare May Be Remote But The Trauma Is Real,” NPR, April 24 (link); Nabih Bulos's “What's that drone flying in over the horizon? It's a scout from Islamic State,” Los Angeles Times, May 26 (link); Thomas Gibbons-Neff's “Pentagon plan to track weapons provided to Syrian forces is problematic, experts say,” Washington Post, June 2 (link); Howard Altschiller's “Mother pleads with U.S. to stem flow of firearms,” SeacoastOnline, June 4 (link); and Helene Cooper's “Senate Narrowly Backs Trump Weapons Sale to Saudi Arabia,” New York Times, June 13 (link).
Online voting was open from July 11 to 14. The Forum maintains a list of media covering related topics at http://www.forumarmstrade.org/journalists.html. A new poll will be conducted in early October to recognize exemplary reporting from July 1 to September 30.
January- March "Exemplary Reporting" Winner: Aaron Mehta
Aaron Mehta
(Washington, D.C.) — Aaron Mehta’s March 21 Defense News story "Uncertainty at State Department holding up new agreement on armed drones" was selected by voters as the best article in an online poll recognizing exemplary reporting from January through March 2017.
Seven articles were nominated by experts listed by the Forum on the Arms Trade for being exemplary journalism that uncovers new information and/or expertly explains issues related to the arms trade, security assistance and weapons use that were published in the first three months of 2017.
In 2016, the Obama administration led in the creation of a joint declaration on armed drone export and use that had garnered support from more than three dozen countries. Whether the Trump administration will also support the effort is currently unclear.
“Aaron Mehta’s critical coverage on the development of international drone standards highlights a policy issue that is often overlooked. He brings much needed attention to questions that remain clouded in uncertainty in the Trump administration. Mehta’s reporting emphasizes the complicated nuances of this debate in a readable, clear, and insightful way,” said Rachel Stohl, drone policy expert and director of the Conventional Defense program at the Stimson Center.
In being informed of the vote result and asked about the importance of this topic, Mehta, an associate editor and senior Pentagon correspondent, said, “There is so much chaff out there when writing about drones, that when discussions of actual, real standards are going on, I tend to think it’s worth covering. The future of warfare is unmanned, the Pentagon keeps telling us, and if that’s the case then it’s vital that standards and norms be explained to the public.”
Asked if there have been any new developments since his March article, Mehta noted, “There hasn’t been any movement I’m aware of since publication, largely due to the same factors I outlined in the story – that there is paralysis at State due to a lack of political leadership.” He also predicted that “lower-level priorities such as this policy are going to be on the backburner for a while, if not longer. That’s obviously a big picture issue and one that is getting some attention, but real world examples help make the case of why the White House may want to consider moving more quickly on making these appointments.”
In reflecting more broadly on awareness of and reporting on arms trade issues, Mehta said, “I think it’s an issue most people don’t think about too often. The trade press covers it from an industry perspective; the arms control community covers it from the non-proliferation perspective; and the rest of the media covers it only when something goes very wrong. Obviously you have some people who have covered it well for decades, but the arms trade is so woven into our national DNA at this point most people take it as just part of our reality.”
The runner-up in the vote was Marcus Weisgerber's compilation of articles examining the Obama administration's arms sales and more recent developments in an ebook on "Foreign Military Sales," DefenseOne, March 16 (link). The second runner-up was Liz Sly's article describing U.S. military aid to forces fighting in Syria and their tangled alliances in "U.S. military aid is fueling big ambitions for Syria’s leftist Kurdish militia," Washington Post, Jan. 7 (link).
Other nominations included: Lauren Chadwick's, "Pentagon Program Trained Foreign Torturers & Rapists," Daily Beast, Jan. 17 (link); Josh Rogin's "The Trump team’s deal with Bahrain could ignore its human rights abuses," Washington Post, Feb. 19 (link); Missy Ryan and Anne Gearan's "Trump administration looks to resume Saudi arms sale criticized as endangering civilians in Yemen," Washington Post, March 8 (link); and Iona Craig's "Death in Al Ghayil," The Intercept, March 9 (link).
Online voting was open from April 7 to 14. The Forum maintains a list of media covering related topics at http://www.forumarmstrade.org/journalists.html. A new poll will be conducted in early July to recognize exemplary reporting from April 1 to June 30.
Seven articles were nominated by experts listed by the Forum on the Arms Trade for being exemplary journalism that uncovers new information and/or expertly explains issues related to the arms trade, security assistance and weapons use that were published in the first three months of 2017.
In 2016, the Obama administration led in the creation of a joint declaration on armed drone export and use that had garnered support from more than three dozen countries. Whether the Trump administration will also support the effort is currently unclear.
“Aaron Mehta’s critical coverage on the development of international drone standards highlights a policy issue that is often overlooked. He brings much needed attention to questions that remain clouded in uncertainty in the Trump administration. Mehta’s reporting emphasizes the complicated nuances of this debate in a readable, clear, and insightful way,” said Rachel Stohl, drone policy expert and director of the Conventional Defense program at the Stimson Center.
In being informed of the vote result and asked about the importance of this topic, Mehta, an associate editor and senior Pentagon correspondent, said, “There is so much chaff out there when writing about drones, that when discussions of actual, real standards are going on, I tend to think it’s worth covering. The future of warfare is unmanned, the Pentagon keeps telling us, and if that’s the case then it’s vital that standards and norms be explained to the public.”
Asked if there have been any new developments since his March article, Mehta noted, “There hasn’t been any movement I’m aware of since publication, largely due to the same factors I outlined in the story – that there is paralysis at State due to a lack of political leadership.” He also predicted that “lower-level priorities such as this policy are going to be on the backburner for a while, if not longer. That’s obviously a big picture issue and one that is getting some attention, but real world examples help make the case of why the White House may want to consider moving more quickly on making these appointments.”
In reflecting more broadly on awareness of and reporting on arms trade issues, Mehta said, “I think it’s an issue most people don’t think about too often. The trade press covers it from an industry perspective; the arms control community covers it from the non-proliferation perspective; and the rest of the media covers it only when something goes very wrong. Obviously you have some people who have covered it well for decades, but the arms trade is so woven into our national DNA at this point most people take it as just part of our reality.”
The runner-up in the vote was Marcus Weisgerber's compilation of articles examining the Obama administration's arms sales and more recent developments in an ebook on "Foreign Military Sales," DefenseOne, March 16 (link). The second runner-up was Liz Sly's article describing U.S. military aid to forces fighting in Syria and their tangled alliances in "U.S. military aid is fueling big ambitions for Syria’s leftist Kurdish militia," Washington Post, Jan. 7 (link).
Other nominations included: Lauren Chadwick's, "Pentagon Program Trained Foreign Torturers & Rapists," Daily Beast, Jan. 17 (link); Josh Rogin's "The Trump team’s deal with Bahrain could ignore its human rights abuses," Washington Post, Feb. 19 (link); Missy Ryan and Anne Gearan's "Trump administration looks to resume Saudi arms sale criticized as endangering civilians in Yemen," Washington Post, March 8 (link); and Iona Craig's "Death in Al Ghayil," The Intercept, March 9 (link).
Online voting was open from April 7 to 14. The Forum maintains a list of media covering related topics at http://www.forumarmstrade.org/journalists.html. A new poll will be conducted in early July to recognize exemplary reporting from April 1 to June 30.