As featured on dotJournalism recently Online journalists side-step state censorship in Asia, Malaysiakini.com recently celebrated its first birthday as one of the country’s only sources of independent news.
The International Press Institute said the online organisation works 'against a backdrop of harsh government restrictions on independent and pro-opposition print media'.
The ruling party in Malaysia, and its allies, own or control most of the mainstream newspapers and broadcast stations in the country and strict licensing 'makes it virtually impossible for critical newspapers to emerge'.
Malaysiakini.com effectively sidestepped the tough regulations by publishing solely on the internet. With just three staff members at its launch, it now has 13 with close to 117,000 unique visitors each day.
The IPI Free Media Pioneer Award was established to honour 'individuals or organisations who have fought against great odds to ensure free and more independent media in their country'.
Previous winners have included: IPYS - Press and Society Institute, Peru; EFJA - Ethiopian Free Press Journalists’ Association; Radio B-92, Yugoslavia; AJI - Alliance of Independent Journalists, Indonesia; and, NTV, Russia.
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