Argentine journalist Julia Mengolini awarded by Reporters Without Borders

Argentine journalist Julia Mengolini, founder of the independent media outlet Futurock, was awarded the Independence Prize by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) as part of the 2026 Press Freedom Awards. At the ceremony held on Monday in Marseille, France, Mengolini received the prize for continuing her critical journalism and media operations despite facing state-level hostility and online gender-based harassment. Last year, social media trolls targeted the Argentine journalist with a smear campaign, which included president Milei republishing posts accusing her of maintaining an incestuous relationship with her brother. On stage she said, Let my case, the case of someone who persists in their responsibility in the face of pressure and attacks, serve not as a story of personal overcoming (…) but to bear witness to what should truly concern us: that artificial intelligence cannot be used to cause harm and to harass women, nor for democratic institutions to be used to protect economic power and to persecute journalists. Each year, the RSF Press Freedom Awards recognize journalists and media organizations that have made outstanding contributions to defending and promoting press freedom around the world.  The jury for this 34th edition, composed of journalists, press freedom advocates, and photojournalists from around the world, was chaired by Pierre Haski, President of RSF, journalist, and columnist. The winners As part of the 77th World News Media Congress, which brought together media organizations from across the globe in Marseille, the awards ceremony was hosted by RSF Director General Thibaut Bruttin. This 34th edition brought together 21 journalists and photojournalists, five media outlets, one defender of the right to information, and one journalists advocacy collective from 25 different countries.  They competed in five categories: the Courage, Impact, and Independence Awards, as well as the Lucas DolegaSAIF Photography Prize and the RSFMohamed Maga African Investigative Journalism Prize. Created in 2024, the latter award is granted by the Mohamed Maga Association, whose mission encompasses human rights, environmental protection, education, and the right to information. The awards were also presented to photojournalist Sai Zaw Thaike, who was sentenced to twenty years in prison for documenting human rights violations in Myanmar (Courage Award); Carlitos Cadangue, a journalist with STV who survived an assassination attempt in February 2026 following his investigations into illegal mining in Mozambique (Impact Award); photographer Abdul Hakim Abu Riash for his series Gazas Agony: War, Hunger, and Loss, which documents the humanitarian catastrophe in the Palestinian enclave (Lucas DolegaSAIF Prize); and Guinean investigative journalist Habib Marouane Camara, who was abducted in December 2024 and remains missing (RSFMohamed Maga Prize).