Netra News, an independent investigative media organization focused on Bangladesh, has received Stanford University’s 2025 Shorenstein Journalism Award for its reporting during the country’s 2024 pro-democracy uprising.
The award, presented by Stanford’s Asia-Pacific Research Center, honors journalists whose work deepens understanding of Asia while advancing press freedom. Founding editor-in-chief Tasneem Khalil accepted the $10,000 prize at an Oct. 7 ceremony and delivered a keynote titled “To Comfort the Afflicted and Confront Power.”
Working largely in exile, Netra News provided verified coverage amid internet blackouts and a violent crackdown that preceded the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government. Its investigations, including Secret Prisoners of Dhaka and Body Count, exposed secret detention sites and patterns of extrajudicial killings by security forces.
Khalil said the award recognizes journalism that “bears witness and confronts power.” Netra News has since opened a bureau in Dhaka as Bangladesh moves toward democratic reform.