Spotlight: Peruvian journalist Gustavo Gorriti named 2025 IPI-IMS World Press Freedom Hero October 14, 2025 Peruvian journalist Gustavo Gorriti has built a career out of investigating and exposing corruption and holding the powerful to account. His work has brought down presidents and exposed some of Peru and Latin America’s biggest corruption scandals. Now he faces a fresh legal battle against those unhappy with his uncanny ability to shine a light […] Read more »
Spotlight: Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai named 2025 IPI-IMS World Press Freedom Hero October 14, 2025 Hong Kong was once known as a safe haven for journalists, boasting a free and vibrant press. That changed dramatically over the past decade, as Beijing sought to impose its authoritarian rule on the territory, dismantling press freedom and free expression in the process. Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai, whose media titles had long challenged […] Read more »
Spotlight: Victoria Roshchyna posthumously named 2025 IPI-IMS World Press Freedom Hero October 14, 2025 In the summer of 2023, Victoria Roshchyna, a 27-year-old Ukrainian freelance journalist, left her home in Kyiv and traveled to Russian-occupied Zaporizhia in Ukraine’s southeast on a reporting trip meant to uncover and investigate Russian war crimes. Tragically, she instead became a victim of one of the very crimes she had hoped to expose. Known […] Read more »
Spotlight: Ethiopia Insider founder Tesfalem Waldyes named 2025 IPI-IMS World Press Freedom Hero October 14, 2025 On June 8, 2025, plainclothes police officers detained Ethiopian journalist Tesfalem Waldyes at a hotel in the country’s capital, Addis Ababa. The officers took him to a nearby police station, where he was forced to spend the night on a chair. Two days later, he appeared before a court, where authorities accused Tesfalem, the co-founder […] Read more »
Advocacy Georgia: As ruling party intensifies crackdown, media freedom groups demand urgent action to safeguard independent journalism October 10, 2025 IPI is joined by the undersigned media freedom, journalists’, and freedom of expression organisations in strongly condemning the intensifying crackdown on Georgian journalists and press freedom defenders who continue to face institutional repression and physical attacks. As the Georgian Dream (GD) regime’s Prime Minister explicitly promises to stifle dissent, we reiterate our urgent call for […] Read more »
Seven distinguished journalists named recipients of the 2025 IPI-IMS World Press Freedom Hero award October 9, 2025 Seven extraordinary journalists from Georgia, the United States, Gaza, Peru, Hong Kong, Ukraine, and Ethiopia have been named the 2025 IPI-IMS World Press Freedom Heroes for their exceptional courage and resilience in the fight for free media. Many have faced imprisonment, repression, and relentless efforts to silence their work, yet they have continued to report […] Read more »
Advocacy IPI jointly calls on Member States to back EU action in response to killing of journalists in Gaza September 30, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) today joined press freedom and journalist organizations in writing to the governments of Czech Republic, Germany, and Italy urging them to support a partial or full suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement in order to protect journalists in Gaza and to advance access to independent reporting. The signing of the […] Read more »
Advocacy Bulgaria: Press freedom undermined by political polarisation and delayed reforms September 26, 2025 On 24-26 September, IPI joined a press freedom mission to Bulgaria organized by the Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform and the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR). This statement presents the mission’s preliminary findings and recommendations. Media freedom in Bulgaria faces entrenched challenges in a climate of political polarisation and legislative inertia, with […] Read more »
Advocacy Ukraine: IPI concerned about new law on defamation September 26, 2025 The IPI global network today expresses concern regarding proposed changes to Ukraine’s civil code, which would greatly broaden the scope of the country’s legislation on defamation, and seriously restrict the work of independent journalists. On September 21, a draft bill was published on the parliament’s website, attracting the criticism of investigative outlet Bihus.Info and of […] Read more »
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 »
