Career. Kurt Schork was born in Washington, d.C., graduated from Jamestown College in 1969, and studied at Oxford University. He had worked in government and in business before becoming a journalist.

Kurt Schork realized his dream of becoming a foreign correspondent late in his life, and at the age of 43. For much of his career he chose to be a freelance journalist.

D riven purely by a strong feeling to help other people and having no prior journalism experience, Kurt launched his reporting career in Asia. He quickly discovered that, with no contacts and limited knowledge of other languages, it was hard going. But travelling to dangerous conflict areas might, he thought, provide more freelance money. So when the Gulf War began, Kurt headed for the Middle East. He decided to concentrate on Kurdistan but, because of the large numbers of similarly-minded reporters, he initially had more success selling photos rather than stories.

His break came when he stayed on after others left. In October 1991 he was on the spot when Kurdish military groups attacked Iraqi forces bombing the Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah. His reports caught Reuters attention and assignments followed.

Kurt Schork was passionate about his job. He covered numerous conflicts and wars, including in the Balkans, Iraq, Chechnya, Iraqi Kurdistan, Sri Lanka, and East Timor. When Bosnia got involved into brutal conflict, Reuters sent Kurt to Sarajevo where the power of his reporting of the military operation in that city had widespread impact, mobilizing public opinion and prompting NATO to intervene (=to prompt =to move to action; to stimulate, push, provoke, encourage).

He filed the story Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo about two lovers, people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds, a Serb and a Moslem. The couple were natives of the former Yugoslavia. They were killed in a battle of Sarajevo and left to lie for days on a river bridge. Photographs of their dead bodies were used by numerous media outlets. The story turned to be one of Kurt’s most significant articles, an international documentary, including so many elements: the brutality of war, the intense suffering of families and the bureaucratic indifference of authorities. The two lovers became a symbol for the suffering of the people on all sides of the conflict.

In all his reports, Kurt sought (to seek-sought) to get as close to the story as possible so that he could quickly report details and show how people were affected by events. While that often meant going into the dangerous heart of a conflict zone, he was always mindful (=always thought) of the need to avoid unnecessary risk.

" War reporting is a job, a craft not a holy crucade (святой крестовый поход). The thing is to work and not get hurt. When that's no longer possible, it's time to get out”, he once wrote.

But in Sierra Leone, luck and instinct finally failed him. On May 24, 2000, Kurt Schork and cameraman Miguel Gil Moreno de Mora were attacked by surprise from a hidden place and killed.

The news shocked colleagues and friends, who quickly proclaimed their respect (to proclaim= to say publicly that sth important is true or exists) and admiration for the reporter they considered to be one of the world’s best. A website – www.ksmemorial.com – was set up to carry people’s tributes and to provide examples of his work. (tribute: something that you say, give, or do to show respect or affection for someone: Examples: ▪ The concert was a tribute to the musician. ▪ Yellow ribbons were tied on trees as a tribute to the soldiers at war. ▪ floral tributes =flowers that people send to a funeral or leave at a grave ▪ an event at which artists and musicians paid tribute to the famous composer).

Half of Kurt’s ashes were buried next to his mother in Washington D.C.; the rest were buried in Sarajevo, alongside the graves of the two lovers whose story he had told to the world.

In order to show respect for Mr. Schork and to honor him after his death Kurt Schork Street in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina was created and the Kurt Schork newsroom at Jamestown College, his alma mater, opened.

The Kurt Schork Memorial Fund

Immediately after Kurt’s death, his family, friends and colleagues decided to establish a real legacy promoting the ideals by which he had lived and worked.(legacy : something that happened in the past or that comes from someone in the past: ▪ He left his children a legacy of love and respect. ▪The war left a legacy of pain and suffering. ▪ We discussed the country's legacy of slavery. [=the ways in which the country is still affected by slavery] ▪ Her artistic legacy lives on through her children).

Kurt had close links with those reporters he had come to greatly admire in the field: fellow freelancers and the often poorly-paid and seldom-valued local reporters covering their own troubled home countries. The idea of creating an annual awards program to honor these journalists was quickly formed, but how to pay for it?

Reuters – the agency for which Kurt was on assignment when he died – stepped in with a start-up sum. Immediately contributions from many individuals and other organizations were made. The Kurt Schork Memorial Fund was born.

(step in [phrasal verb] = to become involved in an activity, discussion, etc., in order to prevent trouble or provide help ▪ He stepped in and took charge. ▪ She stepped in before a fight could start.

step down [phrasal verb] = to leave a job or official position ▪ He stepped down [=resigned] as president).

A number of contributors have continued to ensure the Fund remains capable of supporting the awards program. While this kind of generous activity is typical of Kurt’s friends, family and colleagues, the Fund also greatly appreciates (to appreciate=to be grateful for (something):▪ I really appreciated the information you gave me. ▪ Your help the other day was greatly appreciated) the support of others who did not know Kurt but who set high value on the principles he represented. We welcome receiving donations and other support for our work, from individuals as well as from leading corporations and foundations.

The Kurt Schork Awards in International Journalism

Each year, at a prestigious ceremony in London, we provide cash prizes to two journalists who produce the kind of reporting for which Kurt had earned widespread admiration.

Two awards

Often at personal risk, many journalists around the world work hard to report conflict, corruption and injustice. Their goal is to ensure that the wider world learns about – and better understands – the challenges faced by communities under pressure and may perhaps be encouraged to provide help to the hopeless.

The goal of the Kurt Schork Memorial Awards is to recognize and assist freelance and local journalists who make such a critical contribution to international understanding but whose work is often overlooked and they themselves receive little recognition.

It is these two categories of journalists that KSMF honors each year with its two awards: one to a freelance journalist covering international news. Freelancers live from job to job, never knowing when the next assignment will come, where it may lead or how long it will last. The other award goes to a reporter living and working in the developing world or a country in transition. Though local journalists in the developing world take extraordinary risks to uncover corruption and injustice in their countries, they rarely earn enough money to support themselves and their families.

With these awards, the Fund focuses on difficulties and achievements of both.

Submissions and judging

The call for submissions is made in the first quarter of the year. (to submit = to give (a document, proposal, piece of writing, etc.) to someone so that it can be considered or approved:▪ Candidates interested in the position should submit their résumés to the Office of Human Resources. ▪ Submit your application no later than January 31st. ▪ Requests must be submitted in writing. ▪ Photographs submitted for publication will not be returned; submission=an act of submitting something, as for consideration or inspection). People from around the world are invited to submit their reports published in the 12 months before the deadline, which is usually around mid-year. A panel of judges then assesses the submitted reports, looking not just at the quality of writing but also considering the investigative effort, resourcefulness (resourceful = able to deal well with new or difficult situations and to find solutions to problems: ▪ a resourceful leader) and often courage involved in getting the story. In short, the judges are looking for the same kind of reporting high standards that Kurt Schork set himself in his journalistic career.