In a celebration of fearless journalism, Rokibuz Zaman of The Scroll has been awarded the prestigious Vishwa Nath-Delhi Press Award for Fearless Journalism for his damning exposés on systemic injustices faced by minority communities in India. Zaman's investigative work shed light on issues such as selective evictions, extrajudicial killings, and discriminatory government policies that disproportionately affect Muslims and tribals. His courageous reporting sparked necessary discussions on human rights and accountability.
In an exclusive interview with Ukhrul Times, Zaman remarked, “My stories have revealed this systemic discrimination – from how the BJP-government excluded landless Muslims from a flagship land distribution scheme, the selective eviction drives against Muslim residents, to the extrajudicial killings of Muslims and tribals – and, finally, a renewed crackdown that aims to send more Bengali-origin Muslims to the detention centre.”
Established in 1979 by media luminaries including B.G. Verghese and Kuldip Nayar, the Media Foundation recognizes journalists who bravely challenge power structures. Among the laureates this year were Jatinder Kaur Tur of The Caravan, who received the Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Woman Media Person of the Year for her reporting on human rights violations, and Priyanka Tupe from BehanBox, awarded the inaugural Kamla Mankekar Award for Journalism on Gender for her work on discrimination and violence against women from marginalized backgrounds.
The Media Foundation's awards ceremony, held on March 21, 2025, at the India International Centre in New Delhi, also acknowledged Divya Arya from BBC Hindi with an honorable mention for her two video series on the experiences of Muslims in India. The awards aim to celebrate courageous journalism, especially in a time when media freedom is increasingly under threat.
Justice S. Muralidhar, delivering the 11th BG Verghese Memorial Lecture, pointed out the alarming decline in India's press freedom, mentioning that the country now ranks 159 on the World Press Freedom Index. “A truly free media needs an independent judiciary, and an independent judiciary needs a free media,” he stated. His address highlighted the adverse effects of government crackdowns on free speech, noting recent controversies that arose from critical media narratives, such as the backlash following the BBC documentary India: The Modi Question.
Justice Muralidhar firmly asserted, “The big challenge is to keep the news free,” emphasizing the need to avoid corporate sponsorships that can compromise journalistic integrity. Notably, he criticized mainstream media for succumbing to noise and chaos, urging a need for clarity and objectivity in reporting.
Zaman's award is not just a recognition of his remarkable contributions to journalism but also a testament to the enduring power of the media in holding the powerful accountable and amplifying the voices of the marginalized. The Vishwa Nath-Delhi Press Award, named after Delhi Press founder Vishwa Nath, embodies the legacy of defiance against institutional power, a core tenet of journalism.
This year's awards re-emphasize the role of journalists in advancing democratic values by uncovering truths that can reshape public understanding and foster accountability within government. The Media Foundation’s initiatives and awards continue to advocate for a fearless press, celebrating journalists who dare to speak truth to power, even in the face of significant risk.
As the ceremony concluded, it was clear that the recipients exemplified the strength of journalism, reminding society of its responsibility to uphold democratic principles. In an era characterized by misinformation, the imperative of fearless reporting has never been more crucial.
