Top Media Brands Recognised For Digital Transformation And Tackling Disinformation Challenges

Spanning 12 categories, these innovators, storytellers, and digital pioneers represent the best of the industry, from bold independent publishers to the world’s biggest news brands, across both established and emerging markets.

The finalists

Best News Website or App Relaunch

This category recognises outstanding redesigns or relaunches of digital news platforms, including websites and apps, that significantly improve user experience, editorial presentation, performance, and strategic value.

• CNA App Revamp — CNA, Mediacorp | Singapore
• Crime World — Irish Independent | Ireland
• New El Tiempo News App — Casa Editorial El Tiempo | Colombia
• Young World Club — The Hindu Group | India

Best in Countering Disinformation

This category rewards outstanding work that strengthens public understanding and trust by confronting disinformation with transparency, responsiveness, and innovation.

• Indicator — Indicator | Canada
• Kumbh Investigation — BBC News Hindi | India
• La Buloteca — Maldita.es | Spain
• X-Boer Unmasked — News24 | South Africa

Best Emerging News Providers

This new category recognises independent news creators or early-stage news organisations that demonstrate credibility, originality, and clear public value. It celebrates creators who consistently produce factual, community-relevant information for digital platforms, particularly in underserved or low-trust information environments.

• Indicator — Indicator | Canada
• Soiciety — Soiciety | Thailand
• Spot On: Journalism Meeting the Moment in a Creator Economy — Spot On | India
• Fayli Xelk: Community Powered Journalism — AVA Media | Iraq

Best Reader Revenue Strategy

This category recognises smart subscription and membership strategies that support journalism through long-term loyalty, especially those that are technically sound, editorially strong, and contextually adapted to different markets and audiences.

• Di +Pro — Bonnier News | Sweden
• Resilience & Revenue: Turning Investigative Impact into a 45% Subscription Growth in 2025 — Tempo.co | Indonesia
• UOL+: The Lifestyle Bundle Strategy — UOL | Brazil
• Winning the Young Ones — NTM | Sweden

Best AI-driven News Product, Format or Strategy

This category recognises innovative, ethical, and fully implemented uses of AI in journalism.

• AI LINK: Let News Flow — Seoul Economic Daily | Republic of Korea
• AINews: AI-Powered Digital News Initiative Supporting Regional Media Under Pressure — Journalism Resource Center (JRC) | Georgia
• Cheatsheet: A Spreadsheet-Based Investigative Tool to Make Sense of Large Datasets Using AI — The New York Times | USA
• EqualVoice Assistant — Ringier AG | Switzerland
• Framing Gaza — Daraj, Saheeh Masr | Egypt

Best Newsletter

This category honours newsletters as essential journalistic formats that combine voice, service, and strategy to deepen audience relationships and build long-term loyalty, regardless of business model or scale.

• AI Prism: Personalised Report & Insight Summarising Media — Seoul Economic Daily | Republic of Korea
• India Business Briefing — Financial Times | India
• The AI Shift — Financial Times | United Kingdom
• Unhedged — Financial Times | USA

Best in Audience Engagement

This category honours initiatives that build strong, sustained relationships with audiences through intentional, inclusive, and digitally relevant engagement.

• Ask an Expert — Financial Times | United Kingdom
• Dave Jorgenson Goes Independent — Local News International | USA
• FloodControlPH — Rappler | Philippines
• UOL 360° Ecosystem: From ‘Dark Social’ to Live Broadcasting — UOL | Brazil

Most Innovative Digital Product

This category recognises a digital product that offers a compelling and effective solution to a specific audience or market need.

• Fintech AI Suite — HT Digital Streams | India
• Iran International Telegram Bot — Volant Media | United Kingdom
• News Connect: Same Journalism. New Interface. AI Native. — Ippen Digital | Germany
• Publish X: A Digital Product for Scalable Editorial Decision-Making — United Daily News Group | Taiwan
• Reimagining Video for Premium Journalism — Verdens Gang (VG) | Norway

Best Use of Video

This category honours powerful video journalism that makes strong use of the format to serve editorial goals, tell original stories, and engage audiences across digital platforms.

• Anatomy of BGB Shootings in Rampura — The Daily Star | Bangladesh
• How Women Protect Mexico City’s Ancient Island Farms — Mongabay and Associated Press | Mexico
• Le Touriste: Le Parisien’s Video Series — Le Parisien | France
• The Price of Silence: Exposing the IDT Bribe Attempt on Journalist — Daily Maverick | South Africa

Best Use of Audio

This category rewards audio journalism that expands storytelling, deepens public understanding, and engages listeners through sound.

• Delayland — Deutsche Welle (DW) | Germany
• No Quiet at Home: The Reality of Living with Singapore’s Traffic Noise — SPH Media, The Straits Times | Singapore
• Storytime with Zaza and Zuzu — BBC Media Action & Ma’an Network | Palestine
• The Outlaw Ocean Podcast — The Outlaw Ocean Project, CBC Podcasts | USA

Best Data Visualisation

This category recognises data visualisations that turn complex information into clear, engaging and accessible storytelling.

• A New, Mobile-First Election Coverage — Verdens Gang (VG) | Norway
• Así Volaron una Fábrica de Armas en la Argentina para Ocultar Pruebas de Corrupción — La Nacion | Argentina
• Stranded at Sea: A Decade After EU’s Migrant Crisis, Hundreds Still Dying in Mediterranean — Reuters | United Kingdom
• The Lives Lost in Gaza — Reuters | Singapore

Best Marketing Campaign for a News Brand

This category recognises the most impactful marketing campaigns led by news organisations to grow their audience, strengthen brand positioning, or reinforce trust and public value.

• Every Goal Counts — Golazo.ro | Romania
• O GLOBO 100 — O Globo | Brazil
• The Australian: Welcome to the Contest of Ideas — News Corp Australia, The Australian | Australia
• The P&J: Your Voice of the North — DC Thomson | United Kingdom

This year’s global shortlist is a testament to the creativity, ambition, and resilience driving digital journalism forward.

The global winners will be announced live on stage at the World News Media Congress 2026 in Marseille on 2 June, in front of the global news publishing community.