WASHINGTON—Former Radio Free Asia (RFA) journalists Jim Snyder and Gemunu Amarasinghe had been named winners at this yr’s Asian American Journalists Affiliation (AAJA) Journalism Excellence Awards. The duo’s venture, “Battling a dictatorship, constructing a democracy: Within the jungles of jap Myanmar, insurgents battle the junta and dream of a brand new state,” which was supported by RFA’s Burmese Service, Investigative, and Multimedia groups, paperwork the creation of democratic establishments in an lively warzone in Myanmar. It received the award for Excellence in Worldwide Reporting.
“RFA’s journalists braved extraordinary circumstances to convey us this insightful and highly effective examine of neighborhood resilience in war-torn Myanmar,” mentioned RFA President and CEO Bay Fang. “Their multi-part venture goes past battlefield statistics to indicate the private influence of armed battle—a narrative that will in any other case not see the sunshine of day.
“As RFA rebuilds, this impactful collection speaks to the uncensored, correct journalism that our audiences anticipate from us.”
Of their profitable report, the duo trekked via the perilous Myanmar jungle to achieve the conflict-ridden Kayah state, the place they spent three weeks interviewing dozens of residents together with healthcare employees and rebel fighters, all working to construct a extra steady neighborhood. The four-part collection examines the locals’ efforts to put in an everlasting democratic system in Myanmar, construct a dependable police pressure in Kayah state, and profiles the medical doctors and nurses treating insurgent fighters in a secret hospital within the jungle.
RFA Burmese, together with different language companies, resumed content material manufacturing in late 2025. Since returning, their Fb video views hit 12.7M in April as interactions grew 15%. The Service additionally launched a brand new podcast, “Challenges of Myanmar Youth,” which has attracted thousands and thousands of listeners. In March, RFA Burmese revealed an unique video report a few city in a high-conflict space of Sagaing that lacked ample protected homes, leaving many locals susceptible. Quickly after RFA’s report, the Nationwide Unity Authorities donated the residents extra shelters, with native residents crediting RFA for this improvement.
