Overview:
Two Haitian Times collaborators were among five winners of the ninth edition of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie’s Young Journalist Award in Haiti. Freelancer Daniella Saint-Louis won first place in print journalism for her report on young Haitians defying gang violence, while former Port-au-Prince-based staff reporter Murdith Joseph, now in Cap-Haïtien, placed second in radio journalism for her report on women resisting violence. The awards recognize coverage of the challenges Haitian youth face amid the country’s security and humanitarian crises.
Two journalists who were trained and worked with The Haitian Times are among five winners of the ninth edition of the Organization Internationale de la Francophonie’s (OIF) Best Young Journalist Award in Haiti.
The five winners were announced Oct. 15 at a ceremony in Pétion-Ville. The competition recognized reporting on the challenges facing young Haitians amid the country’s security and humanitarian crises. The OIF’s coveted award returned to Haiti after a three-year interruption caused by worsening insecurity.
Daniella Saint-Louis, a Haitian Times freelancer based in Léogâne, won first place in print journalism for “Between Bullets and Dreams: These Young Haitians Who Refuse to Abandon Their Future.” Murdith Joseph, a former staff reporter who relocated from Port-au-Prince to Cap-Haïtien, placed second in radio journalism for “Women’s Resistance to Violence in Delmas 89,” a report on women living amid insecurity in the country’s capital region.
Saint-Louis, 28, began her journalism career at Gazette Haïti in 2022 and became a regular contributor to The Haitian Times last year. She credited the newspaper’s editorial guidance and feedback with helping her grow professionally.
“I am having a truly great experience at Haitian Times, and it has played a major role in this victory.”
Daniella Saint-Louis
“I am having a truly great experience at Haitian Times, and it has played a major role in this victory,” she wrote to editors, adding that she hoped to continue building her skills and advancing her career.
Joseph, 35, said the award affirmed seven years of effort to strengthen her reporting. After an unsuccessful attempt in an earlier edition, she credited her experience at The Haitian Times with improving her rigor and judgment.
“The experiences I gained at Haitian Times gave me many more tools and helped me reach a level of maturity I did not have before,” Joseph said. “These experiences have allowed me to focus on the real work of journalism: accuracy, concision and sourcing.”
The Haitian Times Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Vania André congratulated both journalists, saying their recognition affirmed the value of rigorous reporting by journalists based in Haiti.
“It’s extremely rewarding to see coverage of Haiti by reporters based in the country recognized at this level,” André said.
She added that the newspaper’s Haiti Journalism Bootcamp, launched five years ago, was designed to strengthen accountability and community reporting, address coverage gaps and support Haiti’s broader media landscape. Joseph participated in the inaugural bootcamp, while Saint-Louis has continued to receive individual editorial coaching and professional guidance.
Both journalists’ careers reflect the challenges of reporting amid insecurity and displacement. Joseph moved from the capital to Cap-Haïtien as armed violence disrupted life and work in Port-au-Prince. Saint-Louis was also displaced in 2023 and relocated to Léogâne, where she continues reporting from.
Five winners across three categories
The OIF, headquartered in Paris, brings together 90 French-speaking countries and territories worldwide and represents 396 million people. It recognized five journalists from a pool of 29 young reporters representing Haiti’s 10 departments.
In print journalism, Lucnise Duquereste of AyiboPost took second place behind Saint-Louis for “Leaving Armed Groups: The Difficult Path Toward Civilian Life,” which examines the challenges young Haitians face as they leave armed groups and reintegrate into society.
Ritchy Fortuné of Radio Télé Métropole won first place in radio journalism for “The Paradox of Children’s Rehabilitation in Haiti.” Guerby Jean, also of Radio Télé Métropole, received the sole audiovisual award for “What Will Become of Youth Self-Defense Groups?” examining self-defense groups amid persistent insecurity.
Jury president Jean Pharès Jérôme said other audiovisual submissions did not meet the organizers’ expectations. He encouraged more entries in future editions and called for a separate photojournalism category to recognize photographers’ hard work.
Winners received journalism resources, equipment and professional development opportunities. They will also receive internships abroad for up to one and a half months, including placements at Radio France Internationale (RFI) for Fortuné, Gabon 24 for Joseph, TV5MONDE for Jean, and the Gabonese newspaper L’Union for Saint-Louis and Duquereste. Winning work is also expected to appear in local partner media outlets such as Nouvelliste, AlterPresse, Le National and Radio Kiskeya.
“These experiences have allowed me to focus on the real work of journalism: accuracy, concision and sourcing.”
Murdith Joseph
The jury included experienced media professionals from Haitian and international outlets, representatives of the OIF and the Association of Haitian Journalists, and writers and previous award recipients. It assessed entries based on writing or presentation, originality and relevance to the competition’s theme, adherence to basic journalistic standards and the quality of each story pitch.
The competition, open to professional journalists aged 18 to 35 who live in Haiti, held eight editions between 2015 and 2022 before the security crisis forced a pause in 2023.
Emmanuel V. Adjovi, the OIF’s regional representative for the Caribbean and Latin America, welcomed its return, saying the submissions offered “hope for journalism’s future and reporters’ contributions to peace, democracy and social cohesion.”
The OIF’s regional representation organized the competition in partnership with Haiti’s Ministry of Culture and Communication, Haiti’s National Book Directorate, the embassies of Canada and France, the French Institute in Haiti, UNESCO, the Association of Haitian Journalists (AJH) and participating national and international media outlets.
