CNN International wins two South Asian Journalists Association Awards

CNN International has won two prestigious honors at the South Asia Journalists Association (SAJA) Awards this year.

 CNN won Best Arts and Culture reporting for Vital Signs with Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Bhutan, and Best Covid-19 reporting for a digital feature on an Indian migrant worker’s agonizing journey home as a result of the countrywide lockdown.

 In Vital Signs: Bhutan, CNN explored the connection between science and spirituality in the country. Dr. Sanjay Gupta examined Bhutan’s core values of compassion, kindness and happiness, and spoke with the Prime Minister about the mountain kingdom’s new focus on health.

 In a feature piece for CNN, Mohit Rao uncovered the plight of migrant workers in India who were forced to return home by foot after the nationwide lockdown stopped all public transport. Most were rural dwellers who had moved to the city for work, and were then left stranded without jobs, food or savings as the pandemic took its toll. 

SAJA is a non-profit organization which serves as a forum for journalists of South Asian origin and journalists interested in issues related to the diaspora, and which aims to promote accurate coverage of South Asia and South Asians across the globe. The SAJA annual awards ceremony honors outstanding journalism relating to South Asians and South Asian issues.