The jury of the 11th Maldives Media Council (MMC) Journalism Awards has ruled that the investigative journalism award in the audio-video category was awarded in violation of the MMC's awards rules and objectives.

The bench comprises Mohammed Saleem, Shamman Shakir, Hassan Amir, Fatimah Ashwa Faheema, Abdullah Naeem Ibrahim, and Abdullah Azmeen. It is learned that Shahman, Azmeen and Ashwa judged the videos submitted for investigative journalism in the audio video category.

In a press release issued yesterday, the jury said the MMC's audio-video category investigative journalism award was awarded in violation of their rules and objectives.

  • - The investigative journalism award was awarded to a product that was published in violation of the Maldives Media Code of Ethics, with the MMC issuing an advisory statement to not violate the code of ethics
  • - The product was accepted, nominated for the award, and submitted to the judges' table without proper research and due dilligence. Therefore, the intention of the council to accept the product is questionable
  • - The council did not respond responsibly to the questions raised by the judges
  • - In the audio-video category, the rubric given by the judges to do justice to the investigative journalism award was 80 percent designed to require marks for the technical qualities of video production. Therefore, there is no way to give marks from the perspectives of investigative journalism
  • - Not all submissions were shared with the award jury panel
  • - In previous years, instead of handing over the decisions of the judges to the council, they are handed over to the designated audit firm in a sealed envelope. This time none of this has been done

The award ceremony was held at the Umar Zahir Building on Thursday. The award went to the documentary 'G. Skeelaan', a documentary published by online media Adhadhu News regarding the personal life of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu.