Kurdistan24 Honored at Washington Freedom of the Media Awards
Kurdistan24 and Washington bureau chief Rahim Rashidi received an international reporting award at the TLN Freedom of the Media ceremony in Washington.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Kurdistan24 and its Washington bureau chief, Rahim Rashidi, received an international reporting award on Monday at the sixth annual Transatlantic Leadership Network (TLN) Freedom of the Media Initiative conference and award ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington.
The event program lists the honor as the TLN Freedom of the Media award for Excellence in International Reporting, given to Kurdistan24 and Rashidi for the network’s coverage of the fight against ISIS.
Accepting the award on behalf of Kurdistan24, Rashidi said, “I dedicate this award to all journalists who stand for freedom, truth, justice, and democracy—especially those who risk their lives to ensure that others are heard.”
John E. Craig Jr., chairman and founding member of Davidsonians for Freedom of Thought and Discourse (DFTD), described the honor as the Award for Excellence in Broadcasting Current Events.
Craig said journalism “becomes a lifeline” in times of conflict, uncertainty, and rapid change, providing “facts amid rumors, context amid confusion, and understanding amid division.”
He said the award recognized Kurdistan24’s “outstanding contribution to journalism, its dedication to professional reporting, and its service to Kurdish-speaking communities throughout West Asia.”
Craig said Kurdistan24 launched its television service in Erbil on Oct. 31, 2015, and has since grown into a multilingual multimedia network.
He said it broadcasts through television, radio, digital platforms, and social media in Sorani and Kurmanji Kurdish, English, Arabic, Turkish, and Persian.
He added that the network was founded under the leadership of Noreldin Waisy and developed international bureaus within its first year.
Craig also said Kurdistan24’s reporting during the fight against ISIS earned citations and attention from major international news organizations, and that its coverage later expanded to culture, economics, education, public affairs, and sports.
He said that on its tenth anniversary, the organization reaffirmed its commitment to fact-based reporting and rigorous verification before publication.
Craig also paid tribute to the reporters, correspondents, producers, editors, researchers, translators, photographers, camera operators, technicians, and digital teams behind that work.
In his acceptance speech, Rashidi welcomed several guests. They included Beni Harmony, Assistant White House Press Secretary, and Dr. Malath Haba, whose work he recognized alongside that of Massad Boulos, Senior Adviser to President Donald Trump for Arab and Middle Eastern Affairs.
He also welcomed Treefa Aziz, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Representative to the United States.
Rashidi thanked President Trump for opportunities to ask questions at the White House. “As a journalist from Kurdistan, these opportunities mean a great deal to me,” he said, adding that they allow him to “bring attention to the rights, hopes, and aspirations of the people of Kurdistan.”
He also thanked President Masoud Barzani for respecting and supporting his work. “Mr. President, thank you for your leadership in our struggle for democracy, independence, justice, and freedom,” Rashidi said.
Ambassadors from several countries and many other diplomats attended the ceremony. Sarah B. Rogers, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, was also present and expressed her thanks to Kurdistan24.
The event program says TLN launched the Freedom of the Media Initiative out of concern that journalists around the world are being jailed, beaten, and murdered with increasing frequency.
In a foreword, Peter Roff, chairman of the initiative, and Dr. Sasha Toperich, executive vice president, wrote that TLN, through an international jury, honors US and international journalists and news organizations for sustaining the highest professional standards. The program lists three other 2026 awardees: Chris Ruddy, Katy Balls, and Doug Saunders.
Rashidi ended his remarks by describing the award as “both an honor and a reminder of our responsibility as journalists: to keep asking questions, to seek and report the truth, and to bring attention to people whose voices are too often ignored.”