OneWorld.net (U.S.)

Nominated by: OneWorld editors

© Amnesty International USAIn October, renowned Russian journalist and human rights activist Anna Politkovskaya, who was noted as a "leading light" in Perspectives' "Women in the Lead" edition, was found murdered in the elevator of her Moscow apartment complex.

Politkovskaya was known for both her talent and courage while providing relentless coverage of the wars in Chechnya and human rights and government abuses throughout Russia. Over the course of her career, she was no stranger to the risks of exposing and criticizing authority, and many suspect the murder was a reaction to her work.

In addition to her writing, Politkovskaya also acted as a negotiator in the 2002 Moscow theater siege and took on other humanitarian tasks to help those in need.

"You need to be a writer first of all," said Politkovskaya when she was chosen as the Journalist of the Month for Women’s E-News. "But, secondly, you need to do something more for them. If the people don't have food and water, you need to find them food and water."

Also notable: 2006 also saw the death of independent journalist and social justice activist Brad Will, who was killed while covering the conflict in Oaxaca, Mexico. Indeed, 2006 was called a "year of unprecedented brutality" for media workers around the world.

One OneWorlder nominated Tarun Tejpal & Tehelka.com, India's "Peoples Paper," for taking up the mantle of in-depth, investigative journalism with acclaimed reports on crime and corruption in India.

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