Mzia Amaglobeli

Georgia

Mzia Amaglobeli’s distinguished career as a journalist and media manager spans over 24 years. Batumelebi, the outlet she founded in 2001, was shortlisted for the IPI-IMS Free Media Pioneer Award for its dedication to independent quality journalism. Despite facing attacks, threats, blackmail, and detentions, Batumelebi has maintained its independence and demonstrated an unwavering commitment to serving local communities through courageous public service journalism. In 2009, under Mzia’s leadership, it expanded by launching Netgazeti, a Tbilisi-based national news platform. Throughout her career, Mzia has shown exemplary bravery and a steadfast commitment to defending democratic values, press freedom, and journalists’ rights. Since her arrest in early January 2025, Mzia has been held unjustly in pre-trial detention, IPI launched a campaign calling for Mzia’s release which you can sign here.

Alessia Cerantola

Italy

Alessia Cerantola is an award-winning investigative journalist and editorial director at Investigate Europe, where she leads groundbreaking cross-border reporting to uncover the important stories and unseen forces shaping the continent today. A co-founder of the Investigative Reporting Project Italy and part of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Panama Papers team, her reporting has exposed corruption, corporate misconduct, cybercrime, and criminal syndicates. Previously a coordinating editor at OCCRP, she led award-winning investigations into the tobacco industry. From Italy to Japan, her work has challenged power, uncovered hidden truths and strengthened independent journalism globally.

Anuška Delić

Anuška Delić is an investigative journalist and Balkans regional editor for the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). She is the founder and editor in chief of Oštro, a dual-hub pioneering investigative journalism center in Slovenia and Croatia and a proud IPI member, leading cross-border investigations that expose corruption, extremism, and abuses of power.

Under her leadership, Oštro has become a driving force for watchdog journalism in the Adriatic region, tackling critical issues and developing the next generations of investigative reporters. She continues to push for greater transparency and accountability, strengthening independent media in one of Europe’s most complex political landscapes.

Solafa Magdy

Egypt

Solafa Magdy is an exiled Egyptian journalist and human rights advocate whose work has exposed political repression, human rights violations, and the realities of displacement across the Middle East and North Africa. A former political prisoner, having been imprisoned in Egypt for nearly two years for her reporting, she has remained unwavering in her commitment to press freedom, using multimedia storytelling to amplify the voices of marginalized communities across the region. Today, she leads an independent video podcast and reporting initiative documenting the lived experiences of migrants and refugees. The project delves into the emotional, social and psychological dimensions of displacement, with a focus on resilience and survival, particularly through the lens of motherhood.

Joanna Krawczyk

Germany

Joanna Krawczyk is the director of CORRECTIV.Europe, a member of the IPI German National Committee, and a leading voice for press freedom and media collaboration. With 18 years of experience in media development, she has led major initiatives supporting investigative journalism and independent newsrooms. Previously, she served as deputy director at the German Marshall Fund of the US East, president of the Leading European Newspaper Alliance, and head of partnerships at Gazeta Wyborcza, where, as president of its foundation, she co-founded the Ukrainian Media Fund. As a member of the IPI global network, she remains deeply committed to strengthening public interest media and defending democracy against disinformation and political threats.

Priya Thuvassery

India

Priya Thuvassery is an independent documentary filmmaker and television producer committed to telling stories that challenge gender inequality by amplifying women’s voices and perspectives. As co-CEO of Chambal Media, home to Khabar Lahariya, an independent feminist media organization and proud IPI member, she leads efforts to support women journalists and challenge entrenched gender narratives. Over the past 15 years, her films—Coral Woman, Survey Number Zero, City Girls, and My Sacred Glass Bowl—have captivated global audiences and earned acclaim for their nuanced, impactful storytelling. A Canon Cinema EOS ambassador and an INLAKS fellow, Priya has co-directed the IAWRT Asian Women’s Film Festival and remains dedicated to building independent, women-led media spaces.

Professor Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika

Nigeria

Abigail Odozi Ogwezzy-Ndisika is a professor of journalism and mass communication at the University of Lagos (Unilag), a trailblazer in academia and a leading voice in media development and strategic communication in Nigeria. As the first woman and first alumna to lead the Unilag Department of Mass Communication, she has played a historic role in shaping media and communication studies in the country, ensuring that journalism education evolves to meet today’s challenges. With more than 30 years of experience, Professor Ogwezzy-Ndisika has advised major projects, trained journalists, and consulted for multilateral organizations. A long-time editorial board member for The Guardian and other major publications, she is also Deputy President of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria. As founder of the Media Action & Development Foundation and a respected member of the IPI Nigerian National Committee, she continues to push for a more inclusive, impactful press through her teaching, research, and mentorship.

Juliana Mori

Brazil

Juliana Mori is an award-winning journalist and co-founder of InfoAmazonia, an independent media outlet using geo-mapping data and geolocalized reporting to uncover environmental and social issues across the endangered Amazon region. A specialist in audiovisual production and geospatial data visualization, she is at the forefront of innovation in environmental journalism. At the 2024 IPI World Congress and Media Innovation Festival, she highlighted the importance of financial sustainability in investigative reporting, emphasizing that collaboration—not competition—is key to strengthening independent media. Under her leadership, InfoAmazonia continues to push the boundaries of data-driven storytelling while building networks that enhance the impact and resilience of journalism in the region.

Etaf Roudan

Jordan

Etaf Roudan is a pioneering journalist and media leader, serving as deputy manager and COO of Community Media Network and manager of Radio Al Balad, Jordan’s first internet-based community radio station. One of the few women to head a broadcast outlet in the country, she has dedicated her career to empowering women in journalism through training, mentorship, and financial support. In 2020, she received the Women in News Editorial Leadership Award for her impact in the Arab region. From 2021 to 2024, she served on the IPI Executive Board, and today, as restrictions on independent media tighten in Jordan, she remains a vocal defender of journalists facing censorship, legal pressures, and increasing state control.

Isabela Ponce

Ecuador

Isabela Ponce is the co-founder and editorial director of GK, where she leads both editorial direction and sustainability strategy for one of Ecuador’s leading independent media outlets. Her reporting focuses on gender rights, minority communities, and the environment, with in-depth investigations into the realities of Ecuador’s most overlooked regions. Beyond her reporting, she has been instrumental in building GK’s financial model, helping the outlet navigate a challenging media landscape to ensure its long-term sustainability. Through her work and leadership, she continues to strengthen independent journalism in the region.

Raisa Wickrematunge

Sri Lanka

Raisa Wickrematunge is deputy editor of Himal Southasian, South Asia’s first and only regional magazine of politics and culture. She works closely with contributors to produce in-depth stories that challenge nationalist narratives and amplify regional voices.  She also curates Southasia Weekly, a regional news roundup, and has edited a number of articles including on the fight to decriminalise same-sex relationships in Sri Lanka and the impact of anti-conversion laws in India. Her editorial leadership ensures Himal continues its 35-year tradition of fearless, independent journalism in a region where cross-border dialogue among media remains rare but essential.

Alina Manrique Cedeño

Ecuador

Alina Manrique is a journalist with a sharp focus on Ecuador’s organized crime and corruption, fearlessly reporting on political disappearances and security issues. In January 2024, she was among the hostages taken when armed gunmen stormed TC Televisión during a live broadcast—a stark reminder of the risks journalists face in regions of escalating violence. A year later, she was honored with the National Eugenio Espejo Award, one of Ecuador’s top journalism prizes, for her investigation with Connectas, which uncovered ties between public contracts and criminal networks. With more than 20 years in the field, she has reported for international media while also shaping the next generation of journalists as a professor in Guayaquil, Ecuador.