The International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) today announce that Hungary’s independent media have been named the recipient of the 2025 IPI-IMS Free Media Pioneer Award in recognition of their innovation, adaptation, and endurance under sustained political and economic pressure.

On October 23, 1956, Hungarian students in Budapest marched to the headquarters of Magyar Rádió to broadcast 16 demands for reform — among them, freedom of the press – marking the start of the Hungarian Revolution against Soviet rule.

Throughout Hungary’s history — from the 1848 revolution to the 1989 democratic transition — the struggle for press freedom has stood at the very heart of the nation’s broader fight for liberty and sovereignty.

Today’s independent media in Hungary continue this legacy. Through resilience, innovation, collaboration, and courage, they embody the enduring tradition of Hungarian journalists and writers who have sought ways to share independent news and ideas, despite censorship and state control.

Over the past 15 years, as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has refined a sophisticated system of state capture of the media, Hungary’s independent journalists have responded with remarkable ingenuity and resolve — launching new outlets, reinventing existing ones, and developing new ways to reach and build audiences.

This award honors Hungary’s independent media for their pioneering innovations — including the use of digital platforms and technologies, cross-newsroom collaborations and partnerships, and creative community-based and crowdsourcing funding models — in the face of an increasingly hostile environment.

“Hungary’s independent media are an inspiring model of innovation and determination under immense pressure,” Scott Griffen, IPI Executive Director, said. “This award celebrates the broader spirit of resilience embodied by Hungary’s independent media community as a whole — and honors their effort to sustain independent journalism in one of the most captured media environments in Europe and beyond.”

IPI and IMS jointly present the Free Media Pioneer Award to recognize organizations or media communities that meet the challenges of today’s media environment with innovation, creativity, and determination.

“In recognizing the pioneering spirit and innovation of Hungary’s independent media, we also celebrate the continuing resilience and determination of journalists everywhere who persist in holding power to account even where these rights are under threat,” Jesper Højberg, IMS Executive Director, said. “Their remarkable courage and creativity are what keeps independent journalism — and democracy — alive.”

The 2025 IPI-IMS Free Media Pioneer Award will be presented at the IPI World Congress and Media Innovation Festival, taking place in Vienna, Austria, from October 23–25, 2025, as part of IPI’s 75th anniversary celebrations.