Last Tuesday, IBCoMagazine visited Free Press Live 2026. The event, hosted by Free Press Unlimited at Nieuwspoort in The Hague, marked an afternoon full of discussions, ranging from what it is like to work as a journalist under intense scrutiny to the role of the media in setting the news agenda.
Independent news for everyone
Free Press Unlimited is an international press freedom organisation that works with over 300 media partners worldwide to make independent news and information available for everyone[1]. The organization not only supports journalists by providing training and financial assistance, but also by supplying work equipment and legal advice.
In 2025, the organization trained journalists in Syria in ethical journalism, co-produced a podcast in Tunisia, and strengthened community radio stations in Bangladesh. Overall, the organization was able to support more than 1100 journalists and media workers worldwide[2].
Why supporting matters
As only 1 out of 7 people live in countries where they can seek, receive and share information safely, independent investigations by journalists remain crucial to hold those in power accountable[3].
One of the most important powerful weapons of war – yet often overlooked – is silence. When journalists can no longer report, their stories disappear. And when these stories disappear, so do the faces behind these stories. Too often, horrible injustices are reduced to statistics. Yet, beyond these statistics lies the harsh reality of war, conflict and crisis affecting millions of displaced people worldwide.
This strategy is pursued by governments all over the world, but has been particularly visible in Gaza, where the Israeli army has killed nearly 220 journalists[4]. Since international journalists are not welcome, local journalists remain the only eyes and ears of the Palestinian people. The destruction of Gaza and the systematic killing of the Palestinian people are not meant to be acknowledged as such. To achieve this, evidence must be concealed or destroyed. Targeting journalists is one way to do this[5].
However, silencing voices does not always have to be achieved by brutal force as seen in Gaza. It can also be done in more subtle ways, for example by shadow banning critics on social media platforms. Bisan Owda, a Palestinian journalist with over a million followers, experienced this firsthand when she was banned from TikTok last week[6]. Although she regained access after her public outcry, users must now type her full username to find her account [7].
Tech companies have considerable influence in deciding which news receives attention, as their algorithms decide which opinions are being shared through a megaphone, and which are being muffled by duct tape [8].
This digital form of gatekeeping mirrors a long-standing debate in traditional journalism: who decides what becomes news?
Factors shaping agenda-setting
It was the top complaint received by the NPO ombudsman[9] last year: “why did you choose this new story and not that one?”
In their work, journalists decide which stories to cover, and, in doing so, they create a curated version of the world. As a result, some global crises continue to dominate the news agenda while others never cross borders.
During the event, Trouw editor-in-chief Wendelmoet Boersema, Salvadoran journalist and founder of El Faro Carlos Dada, and Klaas van Dijken, director of the collaborative newsroom organization Lighthouse Reports, discussed which factors influence this agenda-setting process.
One takeaway from this discussion was the idea that news is often considered relevant when it affects us. If an event affects us politically or economically — whether in Europe, the Netherlands, or on a personal level — it is more likely to be deemed newsworthy. Events that take place further away that have no direct connection to us are often disregarded or deliberately left out of the news, as seen with what is happening in Sudan.
This relates to the concept of cultural proximity, which refers to the degree of similarity in cultural traits, practices, and values between countries or regions. News outlets tend to focus on countries that feel culturally closer, as audiences are more familiar with them, stories are easier to contextualise, and sourcing is simpler. This helps explain why our news remains largely European-centred.
Although it is easy to focus solely on events that directly influences us, the panel also identified this as a pitfall, highlighting how this distance can make it difficult to obtain information about events happening on the other side of the world.
An example of this was seen in Trouw last year when the newspaper posted a black square on their cover page reading: “this was supposed to be a picture from Sudan”[10]. In doing so, Trouw implicitly acknowledged their own shortcomings and limitations when it comes to presenting news from the war in Sudan.
Steps towards better journalism
Throughout the panel discussion, several suggestions were made that could help these shortcomings, while also helping to restore public trust in journalists. One way this could be done is by being more transparent about editorial processes and choices. Stories can be framed in many ways for a variety of reasons, including financial, economic, political or stylistic considerations. When journalists are open about a story is told from a particular angle, audiences are better able to understand their decisions, reducing doubts about a double agenda.
Another way to do this is by clarifying how conclusions are reached by showing people the process and not just the outcomes. Presenting people with the thought process behind a story helps audiences better understand the editorial processes.
European newsrooms should also start to see their non-Europeans partners as equals. A first way to do this, is by treating these news organizations as peers rather than competitors to dominate or undermine. It also means humanising these partners by giving them a face. By working together and sharing resources, journalists around the world can better serve their shared purpose.
Finally, but most importantly, newsrooms must develop the ability to reflect on themselves. By understanding how our backgrounds and perspectives shape the way we see the world, we can make more thoughtful decisions, interact with others more fairly, and approach information with greater awareness and responsibility.
Ultimately, these practices can help foster credibility and trust, showing that journalism operates with integrity and its one aim is to provide the public with reliable information.
Speaking truth to power
Rana Ayyub, an investigative Indian journalist who has faced great harassment because of her journalistic work, delivered the most powerful speech of the afternoon.
In her speech Ayyub explained how her phone number and house address were doxed, how a deepfake video of her was spread around on the internet, and how she was falsely accused of crimes such as money laundering. All of this was done in an attempt to besmirch her image and threaten her position, hoping to silence her.
At times, she admitted, she wishes she could simply pursue cooking journalism. “But if I give up, people who look up to me lose hope”. Thus, for Ayyub, continuing her work is her moral obligation. However, her great, admirable courage comes with a personal price.
Despite this, Ayyub remains convinced of the power of words. They matter. Journalists are considered the watchdogs of our society, exposing state secrets and corruption and providing the public with reliable and credible information. And the thing that governments fear the most? journalists who cannot be bought and who speak truth to power.
An afternoon of celebration
The event finished on a positive note with honouring two journalists for their impact, courage, and resilience. The Newcomer of the Year award went to Sudanese journalist Almigdad Hassan, who continued reporting in his country when war broke out in 2023. He became a crucial source for multiple Arab media outlets, bringing international attention to a conflict that would have otherwise remained invisible.
The Most Resilient Journalist award was awarded to Ulviyya Guliyeva, an Azerbaijani journalist, who at the time of receiving this award, has been unjustly detained for months. Despite this, she has continued her work on documenting human rights violations working from within the Baku Detention Centre [11].
In the end, that was what this afternoon was about. These journalists, each in their own way, showed that these are times not only to witness, but to speak out. Everyone has a role to play and looking away is not an option.
[1] https://www.freepressunlimited.org/en/who-we-are
[2] Impact overview Free Press Unlimited
[3] Impact overview Free Press Unlimited
[4] https://rsf.org/en/2025-deadly-year-journalists-where-hate-and-impunity-lead
[5] https://decorrespondent.nl/16168/als-journalist-zag-ik-hoe-een-genocide-zich-ontvouwde-maar-pas-later-drong-tot-me-door-dat-israel-ook-het-bewijs-daarvoor-vernietigt/e34ec635-2642-0017-0ffd-71df463eb5ee
[6] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/29/palestinian-journalist-bisan-owda-with-1-4m-followers-reports-tiktok-ban
[7] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/30/gaza-based-journalist-bisan-owda-regains-tiktok-account-after-outcry
[8] https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/01/tiktok-shadowbanning-trump/685798/
[9] the Dutch National Broadcaster
[10] https://www.trouw.nl/buitenland/waarom-we-zo-weinig-horen-over-de-oorlog-in-soedan-er-zijn-bijna-geen-journalisten-meer~b6921230/
[11] https://www.freepressunlimited.org/en/current/sudanese-war-reporter-and-wrongly-imprisoned-azerbaijani-journalist-win-free-press-awards