The International Press Institute (IPI) was proud to participate in the 2026 Gabo Festival in Bogotá, Colombia, joining journalists, editors, and media leaders from across Latin America and beyond for a series of conversations on press freedom, media sustainability, and the future of independent journalism.
Honouring courage in journalism
A highlight from the festival was a special award ceremony on Friday, July 24 honouring this year’s recipients of the World Press Freedom Hero and Free Media Pioneer awards in partnership with International Media Support (IMS) and hosted by the Gabo Foundation.
The 2026 recipients of the World Press Freedom Hero Award are Patricia Evangelista (Philippines), Mónica González (Chile), and Hungary’s independent journalists. The recipients of the Free Media Pioneer Award are the Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism (El CLIP) and Abzas Media and Meydan TV (Azerbaijan).
Following the award ceremony, this year’s awardees sat down for a panel discussion with IPI Executive Director Scott Griffen exploring the central questions of what it takes for journalism to survive when power wants truth to disappear, and the importance of independent journalists for keeping a record, even — and especially — in the darkest and most dangerous of times.
“The 2026 press freedom awards come at a time when journalism and press freedom are under unprecedented pressure in many parts of the world. This year’s award recipients come from different countries, generations, and political contexts. Yet what they all have in common is their dedication to holding power to account, even when power pushes back. With these awards, we honour journalists and media outlets whose courage, ingenuity, and resilience allow us to know, understand, and hold our governments and institutions accountable, and — perhaps — imagine and build a better future.” – IPI Executive Director Scott Griffen
“This year’s awardees exemplify the importance of individual courage, collective resilience and resistance, and the critical importance of long-term alliances between journalists, editors, newsrooms, and international partners in the fragmented world we live in. They also demonstrate that when journalism is under attack, protection is not created by courage alone. Protection is created by visibility and solidarity, and when journalists refuse to be isolated and the rest of us refuse to leave them standing alone.” – IMS Executive Director Jesper Højberg
Read more about this year’s awardees and view photos of the event:
Bringing the press freedom community together
Beyond this year’s press freedom awards, IPI was proud to partner with the 2026 Gabo Festival through a series of conversations on the challenges and future of independent journalism in Latin America.
On Saturday, July 25, IPI and IMS hosted a gathering on the state of press freedom in Latin America, during which journalists and press freedom defenders from across the region shared experiences, strategies, and resources for tackling some of the most pressing challenges facing independent journalism.
The group extended a special message of solidarity and support for Peruvian journalist and 2025 World Press Freedom Hero Gustavo Gorriti, who is facing new legal threats in retaliation for his investigative journalism, and acknowledged the recent killings of two Colombian journalists, Mateo Pérez Rueda and Cristian Herrera, and the need to end the cycle of impunity for crimes against the press.
On Sunday, July 26, IPI held a screening of our new documentary film “Defending the Future of Free Media,” an homage to the resilience of IPI’s members and partners at the forefront of defending press freedom around the world — from Ukraine, Turkey, the Philippines, Mexico, the United States, Gaza, and Hungary. The documentary is also available in Spanish and Portuguese.
The screening was followed by a panel discussion with three international journalists advancing the fight for press freedom in the Philippines, Nepal, and Ecuador, moderated by the film’s co-director, Gabriela Manuli.
IPI also participated in a series of workshops co-organised by the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) examining the current state of journalism funding and technology infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean.
IPI Executive Director Scott Griffen, alongside several Latin American representatives from IPI’s first Global AI Accelerator cohort, joined participants in reflecting on the challenges facing funding flows for independent journalism and rethinking funding strategies beyond traditional donor-driven models.
Thank you to Gabo
IPI extends a special thanks to the Gabo Foundation for hosting IPI at the 14th edition of the Gabo Festival, the leading event for journalists and storytellers in Ibero-America bringing together journalists, editors, and media leaders from across Latin America and beyond for vital conversations about the state of independent journalism. Next year’s Gabo Festival will mark the centennial celebration of Gabo Foundation creator and Nobel Prize-winning journalist Gabriel García Márquez.
IPI is especially grateful to the Gabo Foundation for hosting this year’s IPI-IMS press freedom awards ceremony. Next year’s awards will be presented at IPI’s 2027 World Congress and Media Innovation Festival, which will bring together the world’s leading journalists, editors, and media leaders in Budapest, Hungary, from May 12 to 14. Learn more.
Photos: NUKAK/courtesy of Fundación Gabo