Journalists Etienne Huver (left) and Sophie Nivelle-Cardinale pose for pictures after being jointly awarded the Prix Albert Londres at the French Ambassador’s residence in west London, on May 27. (AFP)

LONDON, May 28, (AFP): A series of reports from Africa and a film about the war in Syria were awarded the Prix Albert Londres for francophone journalists on Friday, as organisers drew attention to the need to protect whistle-blowers.

Claire Meynial, a journalist with the French political magazine Le Point won the printed press category for articles from Gambia, Kenya and Niger as well as her reports on the Ebola epidemic in Nigeria.

Meynial’s coverage “grabs the reader thanks to her humanity and empathy for the victims,” the jury said.

Sophie Nivelle-Cardinale and Etienne Huver won the audio-visual category for “Disappeared of Syria, An Invisible War” a What’s Up films production broadcast on ARTE, the Franco-German television network.

The jury said their film was “a precious historical testimony” about President Bashar al-Assad’s victims.

Organisers decided to hold the awards in London this year also to discuss the fate of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and the need to protect the relationship between whistle-blowers and journalists.