Juliet Buna, Director of Programmes at Centre for Storytelling and Development (CSDI), has been longlisted for the Global Journalism Award— 2026 True Story Award.
Buna was recognised for her investigative report “Apps, Pimps and Algorithms: How Technology Is Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Sex Trade,” which examines how digital platforms are reshaping sex trafficking and exploitation in Nigeria.
The investigation was funded by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) under its Report Women! Female Reporters Leadership Programme (FRLP) Fellowship, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Buna is currently undertaking a six-month Digital Public Infrastructure Fellowship with the Media Foundation for West Africa.
She is also a Fellow of the Wole Soyinka Female Reporters Leadership Programme (FRLP), the African Investigative Journalism Conference in South Africa, the African Women in Media (AWiM)—where she has been a three-time Fellow—the Academy for Health Development (AHEAD)’s Communicating Evidence for SRHR Policy, Advocacy and Action, the Kwame Kari-Kari Fact-checking Fellowship (DUBAWA), and the Women in Journalism Fellowship for Africa Media for Young Professionals.
Her work has earned multiple awards, including recognition for investigative reporting, election coverage, fact-checking, and excellence in reporting on sexual and gender-based violence.
Announcing the longlist on Wednesday, Curator of True Story Award, Daniel Puntas Bernet, said the 2026 edition of the award attracted 959 submissions from 103 countries, written in 22 languages.
“Now in its sixth year, the award received 959 texts from 103 countries, written in 22 different languages,” Bernet said.
The entries were assessed by 36 international jury members using criteria centred on storytelling excellence, impact and relevance, and research intensity.
“After a rigorous evaluation process, a total of 108 texts made it onto the longlist. Congratulations to the authors,” Bernet added.
According to the organisers, the longlisted works reflect major global events of 2025, including the war in Ukraine, the Palestinian‑Israeli conflict, the crisis in Sudan, and developments in Syria.
Other recurring themes include the environment, labour rights, religion, migration, as well as personal narratives and stories examining journalism itself.
“Recently, there have been many strong entries dealing with disinformation campaigns, artificial intelligence, big tech companies and emerging social media phenomena,” Bernet noted.
Bernet also said that three finalists from each of the twelve world regions and language areas will be announced soon.
“Their authors will be invited to the Award Ceremony on 5 June, followed by the True Story Festival on 6 and 7 June in Bern, Switzerland,” the award Curator said.
About the True Story Award
Organised by The True Story Foundation, the True Story Award is a prestigious international journalism prize established to promote transparency and media freedom worldwide.
The competition celebrates in-depth, narrative journalism and accepts articles ranging from 3,000 to 17,000 words that meet rigorous reporting and ethical standards.
The award recognises outstanding journalistic work in research, storytelling, and impact, with each category winner receiving a $20,000 cash prize.
The award is part of the True Story Festival, which facilitates discussions and exchanges among journalists and audiences from around the world.
