August 21, 2024
Professional HD video camera [Getty]
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) has firmly rejected a complaint aimed at cancelling the Emmy nomination of Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda. The complaint, lodged by a group of predominantly pro-Israel artists and industry figures, sought to have Owda’s nomination rescinded for her film ‘It’s Bisan From Gaza and I’m Still Alive’.
Owda’s eight-minute report, produced by AJ+, the digital publisher of Al Jazeera, depicts life in Gaza after 7 October when Israel launched what the International Court of Justice has ruled is a possible genocidal campaign. The film shows Owda living in a tent outside the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City and features interviews with local residents, including an 11-year-old who lost his parents in a bombing. The piece has been nominated in the category of Outstanding Hard News Feature Story: Short Form.
The complaint, in the form of an open letter published by the nonprofit Creative Community for Peace, accused Owda of having ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which is designated as a terrorist organisation by the US and the European Union. The letter alleged that Owda had spoken at PFLP events between 2014 and 2018 and claimed she had a “history of promoting dangerous falsehoods, spreading antisemitism and condoning violence”.
The letter has garnered only 150 signatures from an industry that employs approximately three million people. Signatories, who are mainly advocates of Israel and known for their staunch belief in the racist ideology of Zionism, include music and film executives, as well as performers such as Debra Messing.
Read: Zionist lobby group labelled ‘propaganda’ and ‘misinformation’ source by Wikipedia
In response to the complaint, NATAS President and CEO Adam Sharp defended the nomination. Sharp stated that NATAS had been unable to corroborate the reports cited in the letter, which appeared to show a then-teenage Owda speaking at PFLP-associated events between six and nine years ago. Moreover, NATAS found no evidence of any contemporary or active involvement by Owda with the PFLP organisation.
Sharp emphasised that the nominated content was consistent with competition rules and NATAS policies. He noted that the submission had been reviewed by two panels of independent judges, including senior editorial leadership from major US broadcast news networks. The film was selected from among more than 50 submissions in one of the year’s most competitive categories.
Furthermore, Sharp pointed out that Owda’s piece had already received recognition from other prestigious journalism awards, including the Peabody Awards and the Edward R. Murrow Awards, each administered independently of NATAS and the News & Documentary Emmys.
The News and Documentary Emmy Awards are set to be announced next month in New York, with Owda’s nomination remaining intact despite the controversy.
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