Ramita Navai
Ramita Navai (born July 21, 1973)[1] is an Emmy[2] and Robert F. Kennedy award-winning[3] British-Iranian journalist, documentary producer and author. She has reported from over forty countries and has a reputation for investigations and work in hostile environments.[4]
Ramita Navai | |
---|---|
Ramita Navai at the University of Birmingham, 2012 | |
Born | |
Education | City University London |
Occupation | Journalist, author |
Television | Unreported World |
Website | http://www.ramitanavai.com/ |
Early life
Ramita Navai was born in Tehran, Iran. She moved permanently to London, United Kingdom, after the Iranian Revolution.[5]
Career
After a postgraduate degree in journalism at City University, London, where she won the Broadcast Journalism Training Council Young Journalist of the Year award,[6] Navai worked as the Tehran correspondent for The Times from 2003–06, where she covered events including the Bam earthquake,[7] and parliamentary and presidential elections.[8][9][10] She has reported from more than forty countries, including reporting for the UN in Iran,[11] Pakistan[12] and Iraqi Kurdistan.[13] She has made twenty documentaries for Channel 4's award-winning current affairs series Unreported World.[14] For ITN / Channel 4 News she has made various features, including investigating child trafficking in India,[15] and police gang killings in Brazil.[16] Her report Macedonia: Tracking Down the Refugee Kidnap Gangs[17] won the London Foreign Press Association for News Story of the Year: TV award,[18] the Royal Television Society for The Independent Award.[19]
More recently she has reported on ISIS in Iraq (2017),[20] and the UN Peacekeepers in the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2018).[21] She has written for many publications including The Times,[22][23] The Sunday Times,[24] The Guardian,[25][26] The Independent,[27][28] the New Statesman,[29][30] The Irish Times.[31]
In 2012 she won an Emmy award[32][33] for her undercover report from Syria for PBS's Frontline.[34] In September 2014 she appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.[35]
In 2017 she reported and produced the Frontline PBS documentary Iraq Uncovered,[36] which was also broadcast on Channel 4 with the title ISIS and the Battle for Iraq.[37] Iraq Uncovered/ISIS and the Battle for Iraq won the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award (International Television), the British Journalism Award for Foreign Affairs Journalism,[38] and the Frontline Club award for Broadcast Journalism.[39] It was also nominated for two Emmy Awards (Outstanding Investigation and Outstanding Research).[40]
In 2017-2018 she produced and reported the Frontline PBS, Channel 4 and ARTE documentary the UN Sex Abuse Scandal[41] which was broadcast in 2018.
City of Lies: Love, Sex, Death and the Search for Truth in Tehran
City of Lies: Love, Sex, Death and the Search for Truth in Tehran was published in the UK by Weidenfeld and Nicolson in May 2014 and in the US by PublicAffairs in September 2014. Based on extensive interviews and research City of Lies is an intimate portrait of modern Iran. It chronicles the lives of eight protagonists drawn from across the spectrum of Iranian society. It has been translated into five languages.[42] City of Lies won Debut Political Book of the Year Award at the Political Book Awards[43] as well as the Royal Society of Literature's Jerwood Award.[44] It was a Book of the Year in both the Evening Standard (2014)[45] and The Spectator.[46]
Reviews
The stories are beautiful, and they’re so well-detailed and nuanced.[47]
One of the world’s most exciting cities, as revealed by one of journalism’s most exciting women. Navai slips effortlessly into the boots of earthy, urban writer to tour Tehran’s ripped backsides in this intimate, grand guignol debut. She transports us through the Iranian capital’s multiple personas with deft and knowing navigation: never short of love for even the lowliest of her fellow Tehranis. An intimate and devoted portrait, lifting a beautiful truth from a city masked in lies.[48]
Eliza Griswold, The Sunday Telegraph:
A talented writer, she quickly sucks us in with her first character ... Navai has a reporter’s eye for the telling detail… this is a timely and beautifully written insight into the lives of Tehranis.[49]
Documentaries
Year | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
2018 | The UN Sex Abuse Scandal | Frontline PBS; Dispatches, Channel 4; ARTE
Awards: Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Journalism Award, Television - International[50] |
2017 | ISIS and the Battle for Iraq | Dispatches, Channel 4
Awards: British Journalism Awards: Foreign Affairs Journalism, and The Frontline Club: Broadcast Journalism Award Nominations: Rory Peck Trust: Sony Impact Award for Current Affairs,[51] and One World Media: Television Documentary Award[52] |
2017 | Iraq: Uncovered | Frontline, PBS
Awards: The Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for International Television Nominated: Emmy Award: Outstanding Investigation, and Outstanding Research |
2012 | Egypt: Sex Mobs and Revolution | Nominated: Foreign Press Association Award (2014), One World Media Award (2013) |
2012 | Honduras and Mexico: The Lost Girls | |
2011 | Undercover Syria | Awards: News & Documentary Emmy Award (2012) Outstanding Coverage of a Breaking News Story in a News Magazine, Nomination: One World Media Award in the Television category (2012) |
2011 | Breaking into Israel | Nomination: FrenchAmerican Foundation Immigration Journalism Award (2012) |
2011 | Burundi: Boys Behind Bars | Shortlisted: One World Media Award (2012) |
2010 | Zimbabwe's Blood Diamonds | |
2010 | Afghanistan's Child Drug Addicts | |
2010 | El Salvador: The Child Assassins | |
2010 | USA: Down and Out | |
2009 | Sudan: How to Fuel a Famine | |
2009 | Peru: Blood and Oil | |
2009 | Papua New Guinea: Bush Knives and Black Magic | |
2009 | Turkey: Killing for Honour | |
2008 | Nigeria: Child Brides, Stolen Lives | |
2008 | South Africa: Body Parts for Sale | |
2008 | Bangladesh: The Drowning Country | |
2007 | India: The Broken People | Nomination: Amnesty International Gaby Rado Award for Young Human Rights Reporter of the Year (2009) |
2007 | China: Chongqing: Invisible city | |
2006 | Guatemala: City of the Dead | |
2006 | Malaysia: Asia's Slaves |
Awards and nominations
Year | Nominated Work | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2003 | Broadcast Journalism Training Council: Young Journalist of the Year | Won | |
2008 | South Africa: Body Parts for Sale | Amnesty Media Awards: Gaby Rado Young Human Rights Journalist | Nominated |
2008 | India's Trafficked Girls | Amnesty Media Awards: Gaby Rado Young Human Rights Journalist | Nominated |
One World Media: Children's Rights Award | Nominated | ||
2009 | Brazil: Murder in São Paulo (2008) | Amnesty Media Awards: Gaby Rado Young Human Rights Journalist | Nominated |
2009 | India: The Broken People (2007) | Amnesty International Gaby Rado Award for Young Human Rights Reporter of the Year (2009) | Nominated |
2012 | Burundi: Boys Behind Bars (2011) | One World Media Award | Shortlisted |
2012 | Breaking into Israel (2011) | French-American Foundation Immigration Journalism Award | Nominated |
2012 | Undercover Syria (2011) | News & Documentary Emmy Award, Outstanding Coverage of a Breaking News Story in a News Magazine | Won |
2012 | One World Media Award in the Television Category | Nominated | |
2012 | City of Lies: Love, Sex, Death and the Search for Truth in Tehran | Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Award | Won |
2014 | Egypt: Sex Mobs and Revolution (2012) | One World Media | Nominated |
2013 | Foreign Press Association Award | Nominated | |
2015 | City of Lies: Love, Sex, Death and the Search for Truth in Tehran | Debut Political Book of the Year | Won |
2015 | Macedonia: tracking down the refugee kidnap gangs | Foreign Press Association in London: News Story of the Year: TV | Won |
Amnesty Media Awards: TV News | Shortlisted | ||
Royal Television Society: The Independent Award | Won | ||
2018 | Iraq Uncovered (Frontline PBS) | The Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for International Television | Won |
Emmy Award: Outstanding Investigation | Nominated | ||
Emmy Award: Outstanding Research | Nominated | ||
2018 | ISIS and the Battle for Iraq (Dispatches, Channel 4) | British Journalism Awards: Foreign Affairs Journalism | Won |
The Frontline Club: Broadcast Journalism Award | Won | ||
Rory Peck Trust: Sony Impact Award for Current Affairs | Nominated | ||
One World Media: Television Documentary Award | Nominated | ||
2019 | UN Sex Abuse Scandal (Frontline, PBS) | Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Journalism Award, Television - International | Won |
Books
- City of Lies: Love, Sex, Death and the Search for Truth in Tehran. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2014, ISBN 978-1-610-39519-9.
- Vivre et mentir à Téhéran, Stock, 2015, ISBN 978-2-234-07808-6.
- Stadt der Lügen. Liebe, Sex und Tod in Teheran, Kein & Aber Verlag, 2016, ISBN 978-3-0369-5750-0.
- Orasul minciunilor, ISBN 9789734657698[53]
- Город лжи. Любовь. Секс. Смерть. Вся правда о Тегеране, 2018, ISBN 978-5-04-094684-6[54]
- Miasto kłamstw. Cała prawda o Teheranie, 2014, ISBN 9788379618842[55]
- "Iran: Coming out from the Cold?" In Shifting Sands: The Unravelling of the Old Order in the Middle East, edited by Raja Shehadeh and Penny Johnson, 113–127. London: Profile Books.
See also
- Unreported World, a Channel 4 documentary series
References
- "Ramita Navai", Geographical, 1 June 2014.
- "FRONTLINE Wins Two News and Documentary Emmys". FRONTLINE. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- "FRONTLINE Wins Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for "Iraq Uncovered"". FRONTLINE. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- "Ramita Navai". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- Edward, Olivia. "Ramita Navai - Geographical". geographical.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- "City University sweeps TV and radio awards". Press Gazette. Retrieved 2015-11-16.
- "Quake survivors seek shelter in a barren landscape | The Times". The Times. Retrieved 2015-11-16.
- "MPs to boycott 'farcical' Iranian elections". The Times. Retrieved 2015-11-16.
- "Calls for Iran poll boycott grow". The Times. Retrieved 2015-11-16.
- "Iran election divides rich and poor". The Times. Retrieved 2015-11-16.
- Bam, From Ramita Navai in (2003-12-31). "Quake survivors seek shelter in a barren landscape". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- "Done Everest. Next: earthquake relief". Christian Science Monitor. 2005-12-21. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- Irbil, Ramita Navai in (2007-03-31). "City trench that bars way to refugees and killers". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- "Ramita Navai". Channel 4. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
- "The real slumdog girls - Channel 4 News". www.channel4.com. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- "Amnesty International Media Awards 2009 shortlist announced | Media news". www.journalism.co.uk. 2009-05-06. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- Channel 4 News (2015-06-05), Macedonia: Tracking down the refugee kidnap gangs, retrieved 2017-03-20
- "Foreign Press Association London". Foreign Press Association London. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
- "Television Journalism Awards | Royal Television Society". rts.org.uk. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
- FRONTLINE PBS | Official (2017-03-20), Iraq Uncovered | Trailer | FRONTLINE, retrieved 2017-03-20
- "UN Sex Abuse Scandal - Transcript". FRONTLINE. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- "Rape gangs of Tahrir Square". The Times. 1 December 2012. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
- "Migrants risk kidnap and death for desert trek into 'rich' Israel". The Times. 3 June 2011. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
- Navai, Ramita (28 December 2003). "40,000 feared dead in quake". Sunday Times. Retrieved 2015-11-16.
- Navai, Ramita (13 May 2014). "Breaking bad in Tehran: how Iran got a taste for crystal meth". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
- "A women's rebellion". The Guardian. 23 June 2009. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
- Navai, Ramita (7 May 2009). "Witch hunts, murder and evil in Papua New Guinea". The Independent. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
- "Women told: 'You have dishonoured your family, please kill yourself'". The Independent. 27 March 2009. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
- "Women on the frontline". New Statesman. 7 March 2009. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
- "High heels and hijabs: Iran's sexual revolution". New Statesman. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
- Navai, Ramita (June 27, 2005). "Nuclear plan to stay, says Iran's new president". The Irish Times. p. 11. Retrieved 2015-11-16.
- "The Emmy Awards - Winners of The 33rd Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards - The Winners". www.emmyonline.org. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
- Ben Sawtell (8 October 2012). "Multiple Emmy success for City journalism alumni". City University London. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
- "Syria Undercover". FRONTLINE. 8 November 2011. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
- "Ramita Navai". Comedy Central. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
- Iraq Uncovered | FRONTLINE, retrieved 2019-02-04
- ISIS and the Battle for Iraq, retrieved 2019-02-04
- "Hall Of Fame – British Journalism Awards". Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- "Awards". Frontline Club. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. "Nominees for the 39th Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards" (PDF).
- "UN Sex Abuse Scandal". FRONTLINE. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- "City of Lies". Ramita Navai. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- Flood, Alison (2015-01-29). "Ukip study scoops £10,000 prize for political book of the year". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- Rashid, Tanjil (2012-12-14). "RSL Jerwood Awards announced". ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- "Books of the year 2014". Evening Standard. 2014-11-20. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- "Paul Johnson on Henry Kissinger, Susan Hill on David Walliams, Julie Burchill on Julie Burchill: Spectator books of the year". The Spectator. 2014-11-15. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- Ramita Navai - City of Lies - Orion Publishing Group.
- "City of Lies". Ramita Navai. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- Griswold, Eliza (2014-05-18). "City of Lies by Ramita Navai, review". ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- Rights, Robert F. Kennedy Human. "ROBERT F. KENNEDY HUMAN RIGHTS CELEBRATES 'WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY' WITH ANNOUNCEMENT OF 2019 BOOK & JOURNALISM AWARD WINNERS". Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
- "Patrick Wells (British) ISIS and the Battle for Iraq Quicksilver Media for Channel 4 Dispatches".
- "Longlist". One World Media. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- "Orasul minciunilor - Ramita Navai". Compari.ro. ISBN 9789734657698. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- "Город лжи. Любовь. Секс. Смерть. Вся правда о Тегеране – Рамита Наваи". ЛитРес (in Russian). Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- "Miasto kłamstw. Cała prawda o Teheranie". Allegro.pl. Retrieved 2019-02-04.