Overview:
The Haitian Times received national recognition for its fearless reporting during the 2024 U.S. presidential election, earning the Maria Ressa Prize for Courage in Local or Independent Journalism from the University of Maryland’s Merrill College of Journalism.
The University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism named The Haitian Times one of four recipients of the 2025 Maria Ressa Prizes for Courage in Journalism. The college honored the outlet for its reporting that countered anti-Haitian conspiracy theories spread during the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
Merrill College recognized the winners in a campus ceremony on Oct. 21, where the prize recipients met with students to discuss their work and the risks they took to report the truth.
Named after Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa, the award celebrates journalists and news organizations that show exceptional bravery when confronting political pressure, disinformation, or threats to press freedom. Each winner receives a $3,000 cash prize, supported by the First Look Institute.
Merrill College cited The Haitian Times for “bravely” telling the truth “about the conspiracy theories amplified by then-candidate Donald Trump and others about Haitian refugees during the 2024 campaign.”
Last fall, the newsroom investigated and debunked conspiracy theories that falsely painted Haitian immigrants as violent and inhumane, which was amplified by then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance.
Through a series of on-the-ground stories, The Haitian Times documented how this rhetoric stoked real-world consequences: bomb threats, physical harassment, and rising fear among Haitian families. Reporters elevated voices from a community under siege, held political figures accountable, and contextualized national hate speech with deeply reported local insight. The coverage also followed Haitian Americans rallying for justice and demanding apologies from political leaders, linking grassroots action to broader civic discourse.
In response to the coverage countering the fictitious narratives, The Haitian Times received innumerable threats, culminating in the doxxing and swatting of The Haitian Times’ special projects editor, Macollvie Neel.
“This recognition reflects our commitment to centering Haitian voices in national conversations that impact us,” said Vania André, publisher and editor-in-chief of The Haitian Times. “We didn’t shy away from reporting what was uncomfortable or politically inconvenient—we reported what was true.”
The Maria Ressa Prize for Courage in Local or Independent Journalism specifically honors smaller newsrooms or freelancers who operate with limited resources but continue to deliver impactful reporting. Since its founding in 1999, The Haitian Times has built a reputation as a trusted source of news for the Haitian American community, combining local insight with investigative depth.
The 2025 awardees also include Myanmarese documentarian Shin Daewe, currently imprisoned for her reporting; the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which has exposed global corruption; and student journalists from UCLA, Indiana University and Columbia University who covered campus protests about the war in Gaza. Merrill College also issued a special citation for journalists killed while reporting on the war in the Middle East.
“This year’s honorees range from a documentarian who was imprisoned and tortured for flying a drone to journalists amplifying truth amid a wave of conspiracy theories that affected the Haitian community during the 2024 presidential election to students who stood up to power at their universities to report on campus protests about the war in Gaza,” Merrill College Dean Rafael Lorente said.
“The courage they displayed to simply practice journalism is unparalleled and Merrill College is proud to recognize these models of our profession.”
Like this:
Loading…
