The winners of the 2022 Rikardo Arrangi Journalism Awards have been announced at the awards ceremony held on Wednesday afternoon in Andoain. Honey A. The writer and journalist Elustondo has been the winner of the Journalism Prize for his series of articles buried in Tonban, published in Berria.

Elustondo combines "interviews" with historical Basque and chronic characters about 19th-century Bertsolaris women who drink from literature and journalism: "I have not brought discourse, I have brought Ricardo," he said very excited, and Gabriel Aresti recites the poem written in the death of Ricardo Arrangi. The reader of ARGIA knows Elustondo well, among other things, because he has been collaborating with us for 20 years, making special interviews.

Among the candidates for journalism was Amaia Lekunberri, from ARGIA, Anorexia, in the Larrun supplement, a different approach. What does he say when he stops eating? for the report.

The communication prize has been for Enpresabidea.eus, specialized enterprise economic information portal. Maite Reizabal has received the prize on behalf of the project: "The language of money has traditionally been Spanish and now it is, it does not have to, thanks to the great work of thousands of agents and people working in the healthy Basque country," said Reizabal, who has thanked those who have promoted and supported the project.

Pilar Iparragirre in memory

At the beginning of the event, an honourable mention was made of Patxi Baztarrika for the impetus given to the Rikardo Arrangi Awards, among others, and Elixabete Garmendia for his career in journalism.

Elixabete Garmendia worked at Zeruko Argia in the 1970s and accompanied Pilar Iparragirre, recently deceased for years: "From Samin I would like to extend my appreciation here to Pilar today," Garmendia said in his speech.

For freedom of expression

The jury made a special mention of the persecuted journalists: "These are not the best times for freedom of expression. Throughout the world, journalists are silenced, tried or imprisoned without a sentence. Another year, several journalists have lost their lives when working for the right to information." In particular, in the context of the war in Ukraine, he recalled Pablo González, a prisoner of Poland, and defended freedom of expression.

The event was concluded with the intervention of Bingen Zupiria, Minister for Culture and Linguistic Policy of the Basque Government. Besides highlighting some retrospective "milestones", Zupiria highlighted the challenges of Basque journalism in the audiovisual field: "We hope to be able to accompany you," he said.

The Rikardo Arrangi Journalism Awards are organized by the Andoain City Hall and financially sponsored by the Department of Culture and Linguistic Policy of the Basque Government.