This year鈥檚 IPI 海角乱伦大神 award ceremony celebrated resilience and courage in journalism. Prominent Mexican investigative reporter Carmen Aristegui was awarded the 2023 IPI-IMS World Press Freedom Hero award, honouring her decades of fearless reporting on corruption in Mexico despite targeted efforts to silence her. News site Myanmar Now received the 2023 IPI-IMS Free Media Pioneer award in recognition of its powerful work investigating and exposing human rights violations in Myanmar. Both awards were presented jointly by the International Press Institute (IPI) and IMS (International Media Support).
Read Carmen Aristegui’s full acceptance speech in English
Held at Vienna鈥檚 MuseumsQuartier, the ceremony began with remarks by Carlos Dada, founder and director of news site El Faro in El Salvador, who received the IPI-IMS World Press Freedom Hero award in 2022.聽 Before introducing Aristegui, Dada used the opportunity to highlight the one-year anniversary of the killing of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, his co-awardee. Abu Akleh鈥檚 killing remains in a state of impunity.
In his remarks, Dada described Aristegui as 鈥渁 symbol of brave and rigorous journalism in Mexico and Latin America鈥� and 鈥渁n inspiration for generations of journalists.鈥� Despite being the target of multiple attacks and abuses by those in power, including presidents and businessmen, Aristegui has continued to speak truth to power and stood true to her journalistic principles. She is, he said, 鈥渁 courageous journalist in a country where that is very dangerous. But the truly impressive thing about her is that she doesn鈥檛 engage in exchanges of insults with her attackers; she always responds with journalism.鈥�
Esta noche en Viena tuve el honor de presentar a el World Press Freedom Hero Award, otorgado por y el . Su valent卯a y profesionalismo inspiran al periodismo latinoamericano.
鈥� Carlos Dada (@CarlosDada)
Aristegui, who has spent nearly three decades breaking major stories on high-level corruption in Mexico, working mainly in radio and television, including CNN en Espa帽ol, began her acceptance by speech by thanking the IPI-IMS jury as well as her team for their professionalism, commitment, and courage to pursue critical and independent journalism despite the difficulties they face.
鈥淭his award stimulates, nourishes, and recognizes the work of editors and journalists who decide to keep going despite adversity鈥�, she said.
She and her team have faced numerous attacks in retaliation for their work, including censorship, judicial harassment, and Pegasus surveillance 鈥� including against Aristegui herself and her son, Emilio. But a new tactic has emerged, she said, in the form of verbal attacks and smear campaigns against journalists by politicians at the highest level in Mexico, including the country鈥檚 president.
鈥淲hat are these politicians and presidents across the world aiming at when they decide to systematically attack critics, the media, and journalists?鈥�, she asked in her speech. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e aiming to deliberately damage and 鈥� if possible 鈥� destroy those two fragile axes that sustain the work of the press and its relationship with the public: trust and credibility. Not a single day is allowed to pass without poison darts being launched from the presidency against those who investigate, report, or think differently.鈥�
Aristegui also spoke about the continued impunity for the killings of journalists in Mexico. Between 2000 and 2022, 157 killings of journalists and media workers were documented in Mexico 鈥� including 12 in 2022 alone.
“Killing a journalist means killing the public鈥檚 right to know and to be informed鈥�, she said. 鈥淎nd if there are no consequences 鈥� which there aren鈥檛 鈥� and if there is impunity 鈥� which there is 鈥� it鈥檚 an invitation to continue killing. It鈥檚 to continue allowing eyes, ears, and voices to be turned off. Voices that will no longer be there to bring us the news.鈥�
Refusing to let Myanmar be forgotten
The Free Media Pioneer award was presented by Flemming Gjedde-Nielsen of IMS. Myanmar Now was established in 2015, the same year of Myanmar鈥檚 first partially democratic elections in decades. Known for its in-depth news and investigative reporting, Myanmar Now has never hesitated to challenge powerful actors and institutions and was therefore among the first independent media outlets targeted by the military in the aftermath of the February 2021 coup. Despite the ongoing bloody crackdown, Myanmar Now continues to fearlessly report the truth and pursue justice for the people of Myanmar鈥� at tremendous risk to their lives and the lives of their families. In his remarks, Gjedde-Nielsen underscored the ongoing persecution of independent journalists in and outside Myanmar. Since the military coup, a total of 165 journalists have been arrested or detained and 46 journalists remain in custody or in prison.
Swe Win, Myanmar Now鈥檚 editor-in-chief, travelled to Vienna to accept the award on behalf of his team. In his acceptance speech, Win paid tribute to the courage and resilience of all journalists in Myanmar who risk imprisonment, torture, and criminal prosecution to deliver independent and accurate news.
program manager for Myanmar, Flemming Gjedde-Nielson, presents the 2023 Free Media Pioneer award to editor-in-chief Swe Win, who pays tribute鈥檚 to his country鈥檚 courageous journalists.
鈥� IPI – The Global Network for Independent Media (@globalfreemedia)
鈥淚t has been nearly three years since journalists in Myanmar have been able to go out into the streets and engage in the basic functions of our profession, such as holding a professional camera or interviewing members of the public鈥�, Win said at the ceremony. 鈥淚mmediately following the military coup in 2021, all the independent newsrooms were targeted and shut down by the military junta. Media outlets were raided, our publishing licenses were revoked, our websites blocked, scores of journalists were arrested. A list of horrible issues, natural by-products of any oppressive state, so I feel very grateful to all the people in this part of the world who have democratic systems. Just because of them, we can assemble here without fear.鈥�
He added: 鈥淚 am honored to receive this award, but I accept it on behalf of all those who risk everything to share the stories of our country with our public and with the world 鈥� journalists who refuse to let Myanmar be forgotten.鈥�
He continued that no matter the regional or technological challenges, journalists have an 鈥渋nherent power nobody can take away, no dictator can take away. It is our mind, the power of the mind to write the stories and to produce the stories with all the love, with all the compassion. And the most important thing, no matter how dire the situation, in Ukraine or in any part of the world, we have to be steadfast to truthfulness.鈥�
The award ceremony took place on the first evening of IPI鈥檚 2023 海角乱伦大神 and Media Innovation Festival in Vienna, which brought nearly 300 leading editors, journalists, and media experts together to tackle the biggest questions facing journalism鈥檚 present and future. IPI Deputy Director Scott Griffen served as the emcee for the awards ceremony.
Revisit the 海角乱伦大神 & Media Innovation Festival 2023