Today, IPI and IMS are proud to announce the 11 organisations shortlisted for the 2026 IPI-IMS Free Media Pioneer Award in recognition of their creative and innovative work to sustain independent journalism amid an increasingly hostile global environment for press freedom.
This year’s shortlist is made up of organisations from around the world that have been true trailblazers in opening up new frontiers for the free flow of news and information in their countries and regions, serving as a powerful reminder of the resilience of the free press.
The IPI-IMS Free Media Pioneer Award is presented annually to organisations or media communities meeting the demands of the moment through innovative models of journalism, media, or press freedom defence. They are opening up new ways of thinking about the free flow of information to strengthen independent journalism and meet the needs of their communities.
The 2025 recipient of the Free Media Pioneer Award was Hungary’s independent media in recognition of their innovation, adaptation, and endurance under sustained political and economic pressure. Other past recipients include Kloop (Kyrgyzstan), Myanmar Now, and Rappler (Philippines). See all past Free Media Pioneer Award recipients.
The winners of this year’s Free Media Pioneer Award will be announced in the coming weeks. The awards will be presented together with the IPI-IMS World Press Freedom Hero Award at a special event at this year’s Gabo Festival (July 24-26, Bogotá, Colombia), the leading event for journalists in Ibero-America.
The shortlisted organisations, in alphabetical order, are:
- Abzas Media, Azerbaijan
- Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association (CamboJA), Cambodia
- Forbidden Stories, France
- Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), Nigeria
- Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism (El CLIP), Costa Rica
- Meydan TV, Azerbaijan
- Netra News, Sweden/Bangladesh
- Oxpeckers Investigative Environmental Journalism, South Africa
- Radio Dabanga, Sudan
- Syrian Investigative Reporting for Accountability Journalism (SIRAJ), Syria
- Zan Times, Afghanistan
Read more about the 11 organisations on this year’s global shortlist:
Abzas Media, Azerbaijan
Founded in 2016, Abzas Media is known for fearless investigative reporting exposing high-level corruption, amplifying voices of marginalised communities, and holding those in power accountable. Abzas Media’s commitment to accountability reporting has made the outlet a target of repression by Azerbaijan’s authoritarian Aliyev regime. Following a series of arrests in the autumn of 2023, six Abzas Media journalists and one Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist tried in connection to the case against Abzas were sentenced to prison terms ranging from seven-and-a-half to nine years in June 2025.
Despite efforts to silence them, Abzas Media’s journalists have continued their important work in exile — and even from prison — finding creative avenues for circumventing the government’s attempts to block Abzas Media’s website and continue reaching their audiences.
Gunel Safarova, Acting Director & Editor-in-Chief of Abzas Media:
“Being considered for this award is deeply meaningful for Abzas Media. Because of its investigations exposing corruption by state officials, Abzas Media became the first target of the wave of repression that began in November 2023, targeting critical voices and independent media in the country. Seven journalists in this case, including six Abzas Media employees, remain imprisoned…The reason for their imprisonment was simply that they carried out their profession with integrity — exposing lawlessness, injustice, and the system of corruption in the country.
Despite this level of repression, Abzas Media continues its investigations. For us, this recognition is not only an acknowledgement of our professional work. It is also an important sign of support showing that our colleagues, who have been unjustly sentenced to years behind prison walls, are not forgotten, that their courage is seen, and that the fight for truth continues beyond prison walls.”
Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association (CamboJA), Cambodia
CamboJA is the first and only network of independent journalists and media professionals in Cambodia. Founded by a group of journalists in the wake of Cambodia’s 2018 general elections, CamboJA’s mission has been to provide a platform for independent media to band together in the face of growing restrictions on media freedom and freedom of expression. Since its founding, CamboJA has deepened its work to promote access to information and press freedom, strengthen the professionalism of Cambodia’s journalists, and support their livelihoods.
Nop Vy, Founder and Executive Director of CamboJA:
“On behalf of our members and our governing Board of Directors, I am very honoured that CamboJA has been shortlisted for the 2026 Free Media Pioneer Award. It raises big value by exposing CamboJA’s image to the public trust. It also acknowledges the value of all the resources shared by CamboJA’s partners since it was established in September 2019 until today and for future collaborations.
With the shrinking of civic space and the repression of press freedom and freedom of expression, your appreciation is a demonstration of solidarity and unity, acknowledging that CamboJA has not been standing alone, but that our values and contributions have promoted the common values of human rights, press freedom, and freedom of expression.”
Forbidden Stories, France
Forbidden Stories is a non-profit project created to continue the work of journalists who have been silenced. As attacks on journalists increase around the world, Forbidden Stories’s international network of journalists aims to carry on the work of journalists who have been threatened, imprisoned, and murdered, keeping their stories alive and ensuring the public has continued access to uncensored news on critical topics, including the environment, health, human rights, and corruption.
Laurent Richard, Founder and Executive Director of Forbidden Stories:
“We are deeply honoured that Forbidden Stories has been shortlisted for the Free Media Pioneer Award. This recognition belongs to the hundreds of journalists who have worked with us across the world over the past nine years and who believe in a collaborative model of journalism built on solidarity. At a time when journalists face growing threats, we believe that moving beyond the lone-wolf model and working together across borders makes journalism stronger and more resilient.”
Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), Nigeria
The Foundation for Investigative Journalism and its founder, ‘Fisayo Soyombo, have perfected the use of undercover investigative reporting to expose issues that would otherwise remain unknown to the public. FIJ aims to directly combat propaganda and manipulated narratives with trusted reporting on social and political issues that is accessible to the public. FIJ’s investigations have uncovered the mistreatment of mental health patients and corruption in a church facility, exposed the theft of crude oil, and revealed examination malpractices at a university. ‘Fisayo once deliberately allowed himself to be detained by authorities in order to go undercover to investigate corruption and living conditions in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
‘Fisayo Soyombo, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of FIJ:
“We feel a great sense of honour and humility to have been shortlisted for this prestigious prize. Practising journalism in press freedom-averse Nigeria is hard, much less investigating the rich and powerful, doing it for the public interest and obtaining tangible impacts for those efforts. A recognition of this magnitude is testament to FIJ’s commitment to protecting civil rights and democratic ideals through the pen, but it is also a victory for the public, without whom we can consider ourselves jobless!”
Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism (El CLIP), Costa Rica
The Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism (El CLIP) is a non‑profit editorial hub committed to high‑impact, transnational journalism. Functioning both as an investigative newsroom and a coordination centre amplifying reporting across Latin America, El CLIP tackles stories and investigations that would be impossible to cover within national boundaries. El CLIP’s team of journalists and media outlets from the region regularly conduct collaborative, data-driven investigations on topics such as organised crime, corruption, and abuses of power with the aim of driving accountability across borders. By leveraging digital tools and shared platforms, EL CLIP’s work has broken through today’s crowded online spaces, providing accessible and comprehensive reporting on the most pressing issues facing the region.
María Teresa Ronderos, Director of El CLIP:
“We at CLIP are grateful and thrilled to be considered for the IPI-IMS Free Media Pioneer Award. This award is especially meaningful to us, as it encourages us to keep reporting where the waves break, while leveraging digital tools to serve investigative journalism.”
Meydan TV, Azerbaijan
Founded in 2013 by a dissident blogger, Meydan TV is known for its citizen journalism and reporting on corruption and human rights abuses in Azerbaijan. Between December 2024 and May 2025, 11 journalists and a professor of journalism were arrested in connection to Meydan TV amid a new wave of repression targeting civil society. The journalists, who are being tried as a group, have been charged with a variety of financial crimes, from money laundering to tax evasion. If convicted, they could face more than a decade in prison.
From their prison cells and in the courtroom, Meydan TV’s journalists have been outspoken defenders of free speech and a free press in Azerbaijan. The media organisation’s work continues in exile, standing as a rare beacon of independent journalism in Azerbaijan’s increasingly repressive media environment.
Orkhan Mammad, Editor-in-Chief of Meydan TV:
“For us at Meydan TV, consideration for this award is not merely a recognition of our professional work, but also a significant source of moral support during a very difficult and sensitive period. Especially for our imprisoned colleagues, this award is a source of hope, joy and resilience; it is a recognition of their struggle for freedom of speech, journalism, and truth in Azerbaijan.
Despite the difficulties, pressure, and restrictions we face, consideration for this award is a testament that our work does not go unnoticed, and that the international community stands with us in our struggle to preserve access to accurate information in Azerbaijan.”
Netra News, Sweden/Bangladesh
Launched in 2019 by exiled Bangladeshi journalist Tasneem Khalil, Netra News is a Sweden-based investigative and public interest journalism platform focusing on Bangladeshi politics, society, and culture. Within days of its founding, Netra News’s website was banned by Bangladeshi authorities. Despite government pressure, the outlet has investigated official corruption and human rights abuses, publishing multiformat, groundbreaking stories during the autocratic rule of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Tasneem Khalil, Editor-in-Chief of Netra News:
“It is with great honour and joy we receive the news of Netra News being shortlisted for the 2026 Free Media Pioneer Award. This recognition from IPI and IMS strengthens our resolve to keep holding power to account in Bangladesh through independent public interest journalism.”
Oxpeckers Investigative Environmental Journalism, South Africa
Oxpeckers Investigative Environmental Journalism is a South Africa-based non-profit media organisation that combines investigative journalism with geospatial and data tools to report on environmental issues across Africa. As Africa’s first investigative journalism organisation focusing on environmental issues, Oxpeckers supports cross-border journalistic projects and collaborates with journalists across the Global South to produce evidence-based reporting on environmental governance and track eco-offences across Africa. Its unique model combines digital innovation with rigorous investigative practices, offering a replicable framework for watchdog journalism in contexts where environmental and press freedoms are under pressure.
Fiona Macleod, Founder and Director of Oxpeckers Investigative Environmental Journalism:
“Oxpeckers Investigative Environmental Journalism is honoured to be shortlisted for the 2026 Free Media Pioneer Award, which embodies the pioneering spirit on which Oxpeckers was founded in 2012. Set up and run by women, the unit has succeeded in demonstrating how media can think beyond traditional avenues to ensure the delivery of accurate, impactful news in a complicated digital age.
Oxpeckers, named after small birds that remove parasites, has focused on environmental offences since its launch at a time when these issues were pigeon-holed by most media outlets. The importance and reach of our work, which combines traditional investigative reporting techniques with innovative digital tools, has grown amid the increasing persecution of eco-defenders and the climate crisis.”
Radio Dabanga, Sudan
Since Sudan’s civil war began in 2023, the country’s media sector has collapsed under the pressure of the ongoing conflict. Many journalists fled Sudan, have been displaced, or stopped working completely due to safety concerns. Against this backdrop, Radio Dabanga remains one of the few remaining reliable sources of independent information for people inside Sudan. Established in 2008 to report on the Darfur crisis, Dabanga’s reporting now covers all regions of Sudan through shortwave radio, a 24/7 satellite television, a bilingual website and social media.
Dabanga reaches audiences across the divide in Sudan, even when local infrastructure is damaged, internet access is disrupted, or electricity is unreliable. Through its platforms, Dabanga provides its audiences with verified information needed to counter disinformation and hold those in power accountable, and ensures that the voices of the Sudanese people are heard and help shape the country’s path forward.
Kamal El Sadig, Editor-in-Chief of Radio Dabanga:
“Dabanga continues to deliver fact-based, verified and relevant reporting for Sudanese audiences on a daily basis. It serves as a voice for the aspirations of millions of Sudanese civilians who stand united in calling for an immediate ceasefire, an end to the war and a return to unity and democracy for Sudan. This commitment persists despite all the external actors who continue to support this conflict and are complicit in genocidal acts and serious violations against civilians by both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.”
Syrian Investigative Reporting for Accountability Journalism (SIRAJ), Syria
Syrian Investigative Reporting for Accountability Journalism (SIRAJ) was founded with the mission to promote independent journalism in Syria through training investigative journalists on a wide range of formats and reporting methods, as well as providing mentorship and networking opportunities to Syrian journalists. Established to address the critical need for independent and in-depth reporting amid the complex and challenging political and media landscape in Syria, SIRAJ strives to empower Syrian journalists with the skills, resources, and support necessary to conduct quality reporting and rigorous investigations into issues of public interest.
Mohammed Bassiki, Founder and Executive Director of SIRAJ:
“Being shortlisted for the 2026 Free Media Pioneer Award is a meaningful recognition of the work and resilience of the SIRAJ team. In a context shaped by conflict, restrictions, and major challenges for independent journalism, this acknowledgement encourages us to continue supporting investigative reporting, accountability, and press freedom in Syria and the region. This nomination also means a great deal for the future of independent and investigative journalism in Syria, and reflects the importance of continuing to support free journalism.”
Zan Times, Afghanistan
Zan Times is an Afghan women-led newsroom founded in response to the Taliban’s 2021 return to power and the subsequent systematic erasure of women from public life. Operating in exile with a network of freelance journalists and writers across Afghanistan, Zan Times has covered sexual abuse of women in Taliban prisons and the rise of suicide among young women as the result of the Taliban policies. Zan Times not only reports on the Taliban’s human rights violations, it also invests in the future of journalism in Afghanistan, offering online training for women journalists who are banned from getting an education.
Zahra Nader, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Zan Times:
“For Zan Times, being shortlisted for the 2026 IPI-IMS Free Media Pioneer Award is more than an honour. It is a reminder that even in the darkest times, the voices the Taliban have tried to silence can still travel, still be heard, and still leave a mark. The Taliban have waged a war on Afghan women’s social and political lives, on our right to exist in public, to speak, to work, to write. In the face of that violence, Zan Times was built as an act of defiance: a place where we, as Afghan women, write our own stories and document crimes against humanity.
This nomination recognises not only our newsroom but also the courage of every Afghan woman journalist who continues to report, write, and bear witness in the face of the Taliban’s gender apartheid.”