By Nicola Brookes, Atex Communications Manager
Posted on November 24 06:09, 2011
For 38 years, Atex has provided the technologies that enable and empower a free press. We are therefore honoured to be part of the Rory Peck Trust, which is dedicated to supporting freelance news gatherers and their families around the world.
For the fourth year in a row, Atex has sponsored the Martin Adler Prize, which recognises the dedication and bravery of local freelancers who have played a significant role in the reporting of a major news story. The prize is named in honour of Martin Adler, the late award-winning freelance journalist, photographer and filmmaker.
Last week, Jim Rose, Group Chief Executive Officer, Atex, attended the ceremony at London’s Southbank, where Libyan fixers Suliman Ali Zway and Osama Alfitory were the recipients of this year's prize.
Known by international journalists as the "A Team", Suliman Ali Zway and Osama Alfitory, found themselves in every corner of the country during Libya's revolution, helping journalists deliver accurate and ground breaking news. Both had made comfortable livings working in the construction business but in early February, when many young people in eastern Libya were volunteering to help visiting journalists, the two men joined the wave. Suliman worked briefly with an Italian television crew, and for reporters working for the Washington Post. Osama first worked with a New York Times Magazine reporter.
Weeks later, after many of the young Libyan volunteers had gone back to their lives, Osama and Suliman continued to assist international journalists, travelling to the front lines with Jon Lee Anderson of the New Yorker and Leila Fadel of the Washington Post, helping them uncover stories.
Separately, they worked – often voluntarily – for many of the world's biggest international news organisations, including the BBC, the New York Times, PBS and CBS. Working together they helped to probe allegations of a death squad in Benghazi and reveal the psychological toll of the war, among other stories.
Osama and Suliman's dedication and insight about Libya were so coveted by international journalists that they earned the nickname the "A-Team". Both are now journalists in their own right and have penned articles on difficult subjects for a new Libyan magazine, 'The Libyan'.
From the early Atex days of newspaper production systems to the recent development of the industry’s first end-to-end editorial, advertising and web content management solution, Atex has always believed its role is to help publishers efficiently provide news and information to consumers when they want it, where they want it, on any print or digital media channel.
We are delighted to be supporting the work of courageous journalists like Suliman and Osama, who have both played an extraordinarily significant role helping journalists from all over the world get the story out of Libya. Sponsoring the Martin Adler Prize is an honour and we hope to continue offering our support for years to come.
