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October 24, 2025 – General –
The International Press Institute (IPI) has announced its 2025 recipients of the Press Freedom Hero and Free Media Pioneer awards. Among those honored is the late Palestinian photo-journalist Mariam Abu Dagga, recognized posthumously as one of this year’s Press Freedom Heroes. The Free Media Pioneer Award for 2025 goes to independent media outlets in Hungary, acknowledged for their inventiveness and perseverance under intensified political and economic pressures.
Mariam Abu Dagga, who documented events in Gaza and contributed to major international news agencies, was killed in August 2025 while covering a strike on a hospital in Khan Younis. Her recognition by IPI signifies global acknowledgment of the risks journalists face in conflict zones and re-emphasizes the necessity of protecting press freedom under extreme conditions.
The award ceremony, held at IPI’s 75th-anniversary World Congress in Vienna, celebrates journalists and media organizations who have shown exceptional resilience, innovation, and commitment to the free flow of information. IPI Executive Director Scott Griffen noted that the recipients “truly embody what it means to be a press freedom hero” at a time when independent reporting is under growing attack worldwide.
Through the Free Media Pioneer Award, IPI and its partner International Media Support (IMS) recognize media organizations or communities that adapt, innovate, and hold clients in power to account despite hostile environments. The Hungarian independent media outlets stood out for their creative use of digital platforms, collaborative funding models, and their determination to maintain editorial independence amid state capture of the media landscape.
Together, the two awards send a strong message: journalism remains a vital pillar of democracy, and those who practice it—often at great personal cost—deserve both recognition and protection. The naming of Abu Dagga and the Hungarian media community reflects the dual realities of frontline individual courage and collective institutional innovation in defense of free expression.
Reference –
https://en.abna24.com/news/1742371/International-Press-Institute-Honors-Mariam-Abu-Dagga-as-Press
https://ipi.media/ipi-honours-courage-in-journalism-with-press-freedom-hero-and-free-media-pioneer-awards/
