El País presented the Ortega y Gasset Journalism Awards to Svetlana Alexievich, Sergio Ramírez, and Martin Baron on March 22, 2026 [1].

The ceremony marks the 50th anniversary of the publication [2] and serves as a recognition of professional ethics and courage in an era of global instability.

Director Jan Martínez Ahrens led the event in Madrid, Spain [1]. He said the news organization is committed to its core mission of reporting, investigating, and denouncing [3]. The special edition of the awards sought to highlight the contributions of journalists who have faced significant challenges to uncover the truth.

Three recipients were honored for their distinct contributions to the field [4]. The awardees include Alexievich, Ramírez, and Baron, whose work reflects the standards of bravery and ethics the publication aims to celebrate during its half-century milestone.

Martínez Ahrens addressed the necessity of active journalism in the current climate. "In a world as convulsed and uncertain as the current one, we are not going to remain impassive before wars, abuses and lies," he said [3].

The awards are part of a broader celebration of the newspaper's history. By honoring these specific figures, El País aligns its 50-year legacy with a continued dedication to investigative rigor and the protection of democratic values through the press [1].

“"Informamos, investigamos y denunciamos"”

By selecting these three figures for its 50th anniversary, El País is signaling a strategic commitment to traditional investigative journalism and human rights reporting. The choice of awardees reflects a desire to position the publication as a bulwark against misinformation and political pressure during a period of heightened global volatility.