During the awards ceremony, María Lorente highlighted journalists’ rigor, independence, and courage, reaffirming the value of their work for democracy.
Winners attending the journalistic excellence awards ceremony pose with their certificates alongside members of the IAPA Awards Committee.
Bogotá (October 24, 2026) – The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) presented its Awards for Journalistic Excellence during its 82nd General Assembly in a ceremony celebrating the commitment of journalists and media outlets across the Americas to investigative reporting and citizens’ right to be informed.
“Today, we are not simply presenting awards. We are recognizing a way of practicing journalism—one that demands rigor, independence, perseverance, and, often, a considerable degree of courage,” said María Lorente, chair of the IAPA Awards Committee.
Against a backdrop of disinformation, polarization, and threats against the press, Lorente underscored the importance of the award-winning work, which exposes abuses of power, reveals injustices, and brings overlooked realities to light. “Quality journalism cannot be improvised. It requires time, resources, editorial independence, and, above all, journalists committed to their profession,” she said.
A jury composed of members of the Awards Committee selected the winners and honorable mentions in 13 categories. This year’s edition introduced, for the first time, the Gender Equality Journalism category, sponsored by the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM).
Lorente thanked the jury for its dedication and journalists and media outlets for their participation, reminding the audience that press freedom is, above all, a citizens’ right. “These awards do more than recognize journalistic excellence. They also reaffirm the value of journalism to our democracies,” she concluded.
