Forbidden Stories

Forbidden Stories has won the 2019 European Press Prize Special Award with ‘Forbidden Stories‘

Forbidden Stories is a non-profit project founded by Freedom Voices Network. We are a network of journalists whose mission is to continue and publish the work of other journalists facing threats, prison, or muder.

Our goal is to keep their stories alive and to make sure a maximum number of people have access to uncensored news on such crucial topics as the environment, health, human rights, or corruption.

By protecting and continuing the work of reporters who can no longer investigate, we can send a powerful signal to enemies of the press: even if you succeed in stopping a single messenger, you wil not stop the message.

41 years ago, reporter Don Bolles was killed in a car explosion in Phoenix, USA. His murder left his investigation on land fraud unfinished. 38 journalists from 28 newspapers and television stations from all over the United States decided to work together to complete the work of Don Bolles. This collaboration should inspire us today.

Maximilian Popp

Maximilian Popp was selected for the 2019 European Press Prize shortlist with ‘Endgame‘

Maximilian Popp, born 1986, is the Turkey-Correspondent of the German newsmagazine „Der Spiegel“. He previously covered migration for the magazine. Maximilian studied International Relations in Istanbul and graduated from the „Henri-Nannen-School of Journalism“ in Hamburg.