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.
