Nominations for the 2026 @[email protected] IPI-IMS #pressfreedom awards close tomorrow.

As threats to the free press grow globally, it’s never been more important to honour courage and resilience in journalism.

The World Press Freedom Hero Award honours individual journalists who have made significant contributions to the promotion of press freedom. The Free Media Pioneer Award is presented to teams, news outlets or other media-related organisations that meet the demands of the moment through innovative models of journalism, media or press freedom defence.
Submit your nominations by 23:59 CEST on 20 March.

Learn more about how to submit your nominations: https://www.mediasupport.org/news/call-for-nominations-ipi-ims-2026-press-freedom-awards/

Local media Naše Broumovsko in the #Czech-#Polish border region found purpose and ambition through investing in their own strengths: local insight and presence.

With support from IMS and JournalismFund through the Pluralistic Media for Democracy programme #PM4D, Michaela Mašková and the team had set out to produce content about three marginalised groups – manual labourers, seniors and young people – and some Roma.

Media development is often a long term investment and with an earlier #LM4D grant Naše Broumovsko organised what they called “Local #Journalism Simulator” – a training program for citizen journalists from the community. With #PM4D, they paired several alumni of this programme with professional editors and journalists to produce stories.

Why do we not just report on how many media outlets we supported, how many received a training in AI and in advertising? When impact is documented, shared and celebrated, journalism becomes easier to fund, easier to defend, and harder to ignore.

Read more: https://www.mediasupport.org/there-is-value-in-stories-of-overlooked-people/

IMS has launched its comprehensive media development programme in #Bangladesh, aimed at supporting the #media reform process, mainstreaming safety and bolstering emerging independent media outlets across the country.

With the support from the Danish Embassy in Dhaka, IMS has partnered with the Media Resources Development Initiative (MRDI), Digitally Right, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) and Voices for Interactive Choice and Empowerment (VOICE), to run the two-year programme.

Read more: https://www.mediasupport.org/news/ims-launches-comprehensive-media-support-programme-in-bangladesh/

Women in #Mozambique listening to the #radio programme A Voz da Comunidade are using the information broadcast to improve their personal wellbeing and share knowledge in their communities.

By providing accessible, locally relevant and rights-based content in local languages, radio becomes a trusted public space where women receive, internalise, apply and share knowledge.

“Through the programme A Voz da Comunidade, we have gained the skills to confront social stigma and improve the health of our families,” said programme listeners Jossefina Lavo and Luísa Fernando.

A Voz da Comunidade is implemented under the project “Safeguarding and Strengthening Local and National Public Interest Journalism in Mozambique”, funded by the European Union and delivered by a consortium comprising the Forum of Community Radio in Mozambique, Mídia Lab and MISA Mozambique, under the coordination of IMS.

Read more: https://www.mediasupport.org/how-community-radio-promotes-rights-awareness-social-inclusion-and-public-health-of-women-in-mozambique/

#internationalwomensday

Ukrainian #media leaders and European institutions have worked together to develop practical recommendations aimed at strengthening the information resilience of democratic societies during crises.

The Policy Book on Information Resilience: Lessons and Recommendations from #Ukraine 2022–2025 is a comprehensive analytical and practical document prepared by participants of the MERIT Forum 2025 – an IMS initiative funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.

This publication represents one of the first attempts to systematise the experience of leading figures in Ukraine’s media industry who have continued developing #journalism and media institutions during a full-scale war.

Download the policy book here: https://www.mediasupport.org/publication/policy-book-on-information-resilience-lessons-and-recommendations-from-ukraine-2022-2025/

All photos by Nastya Telikova.

A new cohort of Ukrainian media experts have joined the MERIT Forum.

The initiative connects Ukrainian media professionals with experts from Denmark, EU institutions and international partners, creating a shared space for advancing #media resilience, deepening an understanding of Ukrainian and EU media legislation and promoting human rights based approaches to media governance.
Read more about the current participants: https://www.mediasupport.org/news/merit-forum-2026-who-are-this-years-voices-of-ukraine/

The MERIT Forum is a component of IMS’s Eastern Partnership programme REACH: Media Partnerships for Accountability and Trust, funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

#informationintegrity #ukraine

This year, 25 media outlets in #Ukraine will receive financing from IMS, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and Sida.

The selected newsrooms will implement initiatives aimed at strengthening the information resilience of communities across the country, ensuring access to quality news, reinforcing local #journalism and developing #factchecking skills among audiences.

Read more: https://www.mediasupport.org/news/ims-international-media-support-will-provide-support-to-25-more-media-outlets-in-ukraine/

A new report looks at how #climate #disinformation in #Indonesia is used to prioritise development to the detriment of Indigenous communities. A state-led strategy claims extractive industrialisation is beneficial to #IndigienousPeoples, while simultaneously limiting Indigenous participation in decision-making affecting their lands and territories.

This report is a collaboration between the Asia Centre, IMS and the Digital Democracy Initiative.

Get the report: https://www.mediasupport.org/publication/climate-disinformation-in-indonesia-prioritising-development-over-indigenous-peoples-vulnerability/

IMS and Ukraine public broadcaster @[email protected] have signed a memorandum of cooperation, solidifying their strategic partnership.

The Memorandum between Suspilne Ukraine and IMS is aimed at strengthening the institutional resilience of Suspilne by engaging the broadcaster in programmes and initiatives of the European Union, developing the professional competencies of media specialists, preparing and implementing joint initiatives and enhancing resilience, media literacy and digital literacy.

Read more: https://www.mediasupport.org/news/ims-and-ukraines-public-broadcaster-suspilne-ukraine-sign-a-memorandum-of-strategic-partnership/

All photos by Valeriia Mezentseva for Suspilne Ukraine.

How do we sustain resilient #media during wars and conflicts? Few people know this better than the journalists and editors of Ukrainian media outlets.

Mariya Frey, a board member of the Ukrainian broadcaster @[email protected], shares seven key takeaways for media managers on how to prepare their teams for resilience during war. She is drawing directly on #Ukraine’s real-world experience of operating under conditions of full-scale war for nearly four years.

Rather than documenting isolated success stories, the lessons identify recurring patterns, shared challenges and mechanisms that can inform preparedness and response strategies beyond the Ukrainian context. They are intended to support media ecosystems and institutions in converting crisis experience into actionable frameworks for resilience before during, and after major disruptions.

Read all seven lessons here: https://www.mediasupport.org/blogpost/media-resilience-during-a-long-term-war/

This project was made possible with funding from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.