“These are dark days for journalism. We’re either collapsing under the financial pressures or we’re being bought by oligarchic forces that are co-opting the message. But I have to implore you to keep up the good fight, the good fight for the truth, the good fight for humanity, because there is no free people without a free press. So keep up the good fight.”
Editor’s Note: Al Jazeera journalist John Rushing accepted the award for “Outstanding War or Violence Conflict Coverage” at the 2026 News Emmys for the film “Kids Under Fire,” made by Al Jazeera’s Fault Lines program. The film features accounts from American doctors who volunteered in Gaza’s emergency rooms. These doctors report seeing a disturbing pattern of young children—many under the age of 12—arriving with similar penetrating gunshot wounds to the head and chest, leading them to believe these were targeted attacks rather than accidental crossfire. After receiving the Emmy, Rushing made a powerful speech dedicating the award to the 11 Al Jazeera journalists and their 270 colleagues, journalists killed by Israel in Gaza. His acceptance speech for the film is transcribed below from a video on C-Span and ME.
“The irony of accepting an award for covering a genocide from the very country or in the very country that enables that genocide to have happened and continues should not be lost. I want to dedicate this [award] to the 11 Al Jazeera journalists, the 11 colleagues who have been killed by Israel since October 7th in Gaza, and to their 270 colleagues, journalists who have been killed in Gaza since October 7th.
I want to acknowledge the dozens of doctors who have given up rich successful lives here to risk everything and go to Gaza and try to help and to realize the broad sword of the truth, and bearing witnesses stronger than the scalpel that they bring to the battlefield. And they came back and they bore witness in this piece.
And because of them, the 4-year-old little girl, Mira, who had a bullet lodged in her brain, in our film, is today in Mexico City, receiving help with her mother Isra, who lost her leg while we were filming this.
These are dark days for journalism. We’re either collapsing under the financial pressures or we’re being bought by oligarchic forces that are co-opting the message. But I have to tell you, I have to implore you to keep up the good fight, the good fight for the truth, the good fight for humanity, because there is no free people without a free press. So keep up the good fight. Thank you.”
