The University of Belize hosted its annual Prize for Investigative Journalism on Saturday evening in Belize City.
The ceremony coincided with World Press Freedom Day. “Tonight we gather not only to hand out awards but to recognise something essential to our democracy—the power of truth,” stated UB President Vincent Palacio. “Investigative journalism has always stood at the intersection of justice and truth.”
A panel of distinguished judges, including Jacqueline Charles, Eyder Peralta, Kalilah Reynolds, and Freeman Rogers, reviewed the submissions.
Marco Lopez claimed top prize for Code Red in the Blue. News Five’s Paul Lopez, George Tillett and Joel Westby were finalists along with Channel 7. Rogers hailed News 5’s submission, calling it a standout. “I liked how that investigation showed curiosity… from golf carts to casinos… that natural curiosity was really interesting, sort of how local curiosity lead to his big story,” he said.
This year’s keynote speaker was Belizean-born CNN Senior Justice Correspondent Evan Perez, who delivered a powerful message on the state of press freedom and the growing challenges facing journalism today.