Meet 10 news organizations joining Local News Accelerator 2025 September 24, 2025 The 2025 Local News Accelerator, now in its third edition, is part of IPI’s media innovation portfolio, which supports digital innovation in local and niche news organizations around the world, assisting each media’s near and long-term viability through editorial innovation, and operational and business development. This year, we received a record number of 143 applications […] Read more »
Advocacy Albania: IPI joins media freedom groups in sending an open letter to Parliament urging improved access for journalists September 19, 2025 IPI joins SafeJournalists Network, the partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and Albanian media freedom organisations, in sending an open letter to the Speaker of the Albanian Parliament, Niko Peleshi. In the letter, the media freedom groups raise serious concerns over proposals by the parliamentary majority to restrict journalists’ […] Read more »
Advocacy Moldova: fears for press freedom in case of pro-Russian victory September 17, 2025 On June 23 to 27, the International Press Institute (IPI), representing the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium, conducted a press freedom mission to the Republic of Moldova, to assess the situation of press freedom in the country ahead of crucial parliamentary elections scheduled for September 28. Multiple interviews with journalists, press freedom activists and […] Read more »
Virtual Newsroom Visit to Liceulice, Serbia https://youtu.be/ZRoXvRyaj_Y IPI’s Local News & Innovation Network hosted a virtual newsroom visit to Liceulice on October 15, 11:00 CET. Meet Liceulice (meaning The Face of the Street), a monthly street paper from Serbia that has existed for more than 15 years, serving as a platform dedicated to strengthening civic activism, solidarity and emancipation. Each issue […] Read more »
Advocacy Czech Republic: Ten demands for maintaining media freedom ahead of election September 4, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) and its Czech National Committee supported a joint initiative to call for cross party support for media freedom and independent journalism ahead of the upcoming Czech parliamentary elections on 3 and 4 October 2025. Media freedom is the cornerstone of every democratic society. Independent journalism, together with media literacy and […] Read more »
Advocacy Albania: Media freedom groups write to authorities over Focus Media Group obstruction August 25, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) was today joined by media freedom and journalist organisations in sending an open letter to Albanian authorities to highlight growing concerns over the continued obstruction of journalistic activity related to the recent police blockade of building hosting Focus Media Group in Tirana and the non compliance with a recent court […] Read more »
Guest Article Serbia: Attacks on journalists reach unprecedented levels amidst ongoing anti-government protests August 22, 2025 By IPI contributor Jelena L. Petković This article is part of a series published by IPI and written by expert guest contributors from across Europe on different threats facing media freedom and independent journalism. This article focuses on the latest surge in attacks on journalists in Serbia in the last week amidst the latest anti-government […] Read more »
Advocacy Sri Lanka: IPI, partners demand counter-terror police cease harassment of Tamil photojournalist Kanapathipillai Kumanan August 15, 2025 The IPI global network today joined seven media freedom and international human rights groups in expressing our concern over Sri Lankan authorities’ harassment of Tamil photojournalist Kanapathipillai Kumanan. Read the full statement below. Sri Lankan authorities must immediately end the harassment of Tamil journalist Kanapathipillai Kumanan and withdraw the summons issued by the Counter Terrorism […] Read more » Taggedlocal media press freedom safety of journalists
Advocacy Key takeaways from “The Big Why” panel: The case to support climate and environmental journalism in Africa August 15, 2025 During IPI’s recent panel with media experts on the need to support climate and environmental journalism in Africa, one participant shared her harrowing story. Powerful interest groups threatened her over the phone for her investigation into pollution linked to Uganda’s cement industry. As a female, freelance Ugandan journalist with few resources at her disposal to […] Read more »
Advocacy Egypt: IPI calls on authorities to drop latest charges against Mada Masr editor Lina Attalah August 6, 2025 The IPI global network calls on Egyptian authorities to drop its latest round of spurious charges against Mada Masr editor Lina Attalah and cease its harassment of the outlet, which was a past recipient of the IPI-IMS Free Media Pioneer award. On August 2, Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of Egyptian independent news outlet Mada Masr, was […] Read more »
Advocacy IPI, partners demand end to the starvation and targeted killing of journalists in Gaza August 6, 2025 The International Press Institute today joins 15 press freedom groups calling for the immediate end to the starvation and targeting of journalists in Gaza. Israel must end the ongoing blockade on foreign press entry into Gaza and allow global journalists to operate freely and independently. Read our full statement below. To Governments, International Organisations, Media […] Read more »
Advocacy Georgia: IPI strongly condemns two-year prison sentence for Mzia Amaglobeli August 6, 2025 The IPI global network strongly condemns the two-year prison sentence handed down today by a Georgian court to veteran journalist and IPI member Mzia Amaglobeli. The journalist has been held in pretrial detention since her arrest on January 12 on disproportionate and politicized charges, amid declining health and vision. Amaglobeli was initially accused of attacking […] Read more »
The Big Why: The case for strengthening climate and environmental journalism in Africa Countries across Africa face an escalating environmental and climate crisis, with communities increasingly impacted by extreme weather events, deforestation, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and the adverse effects of extractive industries. These and other challenges have far-reaching consequences for livelihoods, security, and sustainable development. Robust, fact-based, independent news and information are essential to addressing these challenges. […] Read more »
#IPIArchive: The Road to a Press Freedom AI Commons Imagine having a time travel machine and being able to prevent autocracy before it happens. If you could identify the moment, the trigger that could be averted, so that society does not go down the spiral of censorship and repression. While time-travelling is still science fiction, we might be closer to the possibilities of knowing […] Read more »
Advocacy South Sudan: Renewed call for credible investigation into 2017 killing of journalist Christopher Allen August 1, 2025 The IPI global network calls for urgent and renewed international attention to the case of American-British journalist Christopher Allen. We urge the international community to pressure South Sudanese authorities to conduct an independent and transparent investigation into Allen’s killing. Christopher Allen, a freelance photojournalist, was killed by government forces on August 26, 2017 while documenting […] Read more »
Advocacy Georgia: Ahead of verdict, press freedom groups renew call for Mzia Amaglobeli’s release July 31, 2025 Ahead of the expected verdict in the case of veteran Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli on Friday August 1, the undersigned press freedom, journalists, and human rights organisations jointly renew our call on Georgian Dream authorities to dismiss the criminal charge against her and to facilitate her immediate release. Amaglobeli has been unjustly held in pre-trial […] Read more »
Advocacy Azerbaijan: IPI joins partner organizations concerned by mistreatment of Abzas Media journalists July 29, 2025 The IPI global network today joins partner organizations alarmed at the escalating mistreatment of imprisoned Azerbaijani journalists from independent outlet Abzas Media. Since November 2023, Azerbaijani authorities have detained at least 25 journalists in apparent retaliation for their reporting, with journalists linked to Abzas Media facing harsh conditions behind bars. **************************************** The IPI […] Read more »
Advocacy Georgia: Authorities seize bank accounts of Gazeti Batumelebi and Netgazeti ahead of Mzia Amaghlobeli verdict July 21, 2025 Georgian authorities’ decision to seize the bank accounts of independent media Gazeti Batumelebi and Netgazeti ahead of the verdict in the criminal trial of their co-founder Mzia Amaghlobeli is another clear front in the government’s authoritarian campaign of pressure against them, IPI said today. Gazeti Batumelebi and Netgazeti are widely respected media outlets, often reporting […] Read more »
Advocacy Greece: IPI joins open letter to PM Mitsotakis outlining urgent need for further media freedom reforms July 17, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) joins the undersigned media freedom and journalist organisations in publishing an open letter sent to the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis outlining a number of reforms required to improve the worrying climate for media freedom in the country, as part of the Council of Europe’s Journalists Matter Campaign. Read the […] Read more »
Advocacy Georgia: Following hearing, IPI and partners reiterate call for release of journalist Mzia Amaglobeli July 14, 2025 Monday’s court hearing in the case of Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli shows the disproportionate and politicized nature of the charges against her and she must be released immediately, the International Press Institute (IPI) said along with international press freedom organizations whose representatives monitored the proceedings. In response to the hearing, IPI, the Committee to Protect […] Read more »
Advocacy Serbia: Media freedom continues to decline at alarming speed, EU must take action July 11, 2025 IPI joins the undersigned journalists and media freedom organisations in condemning the new attacks against journalists across Serbia, many of which are perpetrated by state representatives and law enforcement authorities. The situation of emergency of media freedom in Serbia – as assessed by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) during its April solidarity mission – has […] Read more »
Advocacy Finland: Appeal court verdict on Helsingin Sanomat state secrets case sends a chilling message July 2, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) and its Finnish National Committee express alarm over the recent verdict by the Court of Appeal in Finland to uphold the suspended prison sentence and fine handed down to two journalists from leading daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat over their reporting on the country’s military intelligence services. IPI and its Finnish […] Read more »
Advocacy Georgia: Urgent action required as ruling party accelerates efforts to silence independent media June 30, 2025 The IPI global network today warns of the dire state of media freedom in Georgia amid the introduction of increasingly repressive laws and ongoing attacks on the press. Each day, Georgia moves closer to becoming a fully consolidated authoritarian regime, as the ruling Georgian Dream party intensifies its efforts to erode democracy and silence independent […] Read more »
Advocacy Kenya: Media blackout, journalist attacks, and contempt of court mar 25 June anniversary protests June 27, 2025 Thousands of Kenyans took to the streets this Wednesday to commemorate the deadly 2024 anti-government protests, during which about 60 people were killed by the police. The demonstrations this week were again met with excessive police violence. At least 16 people are reported dead and 400 injured in the aftermath of the protests, according to […] Read more »
Advocacy Philippines: IPI calls for the immediate release of journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio June 25, 2025 The IPI global network today calls for the immediate release of Philippine journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, who has been unjustly held in pretrial detention for more than 5 years. We also demand that unfounded charges against Cumpio be dropped and that all legal proceedings against her be immediately concluded. Cumpio, executive director and investigative reporter […] Read more »
Advocacy IPI, partners express alarm over deterioration of press freedom in El Salvador June 23, 2025 The IPI global network today joins with more than 15 press freedom and human rights organizations expressing our alarm over the rapid deterioration of press freedom in El Salvador. The ongoing pattern of harassment, censorship, and intimidation of journalists has intensified in recent weeks, and the passage of a draconian foreign agents law, which poses […] Read more »
Guest Article Gender-based attacks on journalists in Mexico: Will Mexico’s first female president bring change? June 18, 2025 Eero Lassila, Helsingin Sanomat Foudation Journalism Fellow at IPI Physical and online violence against women journalists in Mexico has increased in recent years. Government preventive measures lack efficacy, and impunity for such violence is widespread. Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s newly elected president and the country’s first woman leader, has promised to change the course for the better. Attacks against journalists continue to rise in Mexico, […] Read more »
Advocacy Georgia: Independent media face new wave of repression as new laws come into effect June 17, 2025 As the ruling Georgian Dream party intensifies efforts to consolidate authoritarian rule, independent media face unprecedented pressure and are now on the brink of survival. Journalists are increasingly subjected to detentions, physical attacks, arbitrary fines, censorship, as well as financial and institutional repression. IPI joins international media freedom, journalists’, and human rights organisations, renew our […] Read more »
Advocacy Egypt: IPI demands immediate release of British-Egyptian blogger and activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah June 11, 2025 The IPI global network calls on Egyptian authorities to immediately release Alaa Abd el-Fattah, who remains unlawfully imprisoned nearly a year after completing his sentence. His mother, Laila Soueif, has been on hunger strike for more than 250 days in protest and was recently hospitalized. We urge the international community to use all diplomatic means […] Read more »
Webinar: Countering hate speech while respecting freedom of expression online in Kenya Moderator: Marystella Simiyu (International Press Institute) Panellists: Irene Mwendwa (Pollicy) Catherine Mbui (ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa) Peace Oliver Amuge (Association for Progressive Communications) Victor Kapiyo (KICTANet) Hate speech threatens dignity, equality, social cohesion, and peaceful coexistence in societies, and often corrodes our news and information environments, particularly on social media. In Kenya, negative ethnicity and […] Read more »
Advocacy World Environment Day: States must bolster support for climate and environmental journalism June 5, 2025 Climate and environmental journalism has never been more important in the face of the alarming state of the future of the planet – and yet covering these critical topics has never been more dangerous. As we celebrate World Environment Day this week, the IPI global network urges the international community to bolster support and protections […] Read more »
Advocacy IPI joins global call for immediate, unfettered access by international media to Gaza June 5, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) today joins more than 130 media and press freedom organizations across the world in demanding unrestricted and independent access by international media to Gaza, as the humanitarian crisis there deepens. Foreign reporters have been largely barred from accessing Gaza since the outset of the war on October 7, 2023. Palestinian […] Read more »
Advocacy Sudan: Photojournalist Al-Shykh Al-Samany Saadaldyn killed by drone attack June 4, 2025 The IPI global network today condemns the killing, on May 18, of freelance photojournalist Al-Shykh Al-Samany Saadaldyn by one of the warring factions of Sudan’s ongoing civil war. We call for an independent investigation into this killing and full accountability for this and all crimes against journalists reporting on the conflict. “The killing of photojournalist […] Read more »
