Fundación Maldita.es has been recognised as the European winner of the WAN-IFRA Digital Media Awards 2026 in the category Best in Countering Disinformation for its project La Buloteca,, a collaborative digital platform that is redefining how information verification is carried out together with the community.
The announcement, made by the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), highlights the project as an innovative model that integrates citizen participation into verification processes, transforming audience queries into public “investigation cards” that form part of a structured and transparent editorial system. The jury praised La Buloteca’s impact and scalability, noting that it provides “a highly credible verification model that turns citizen questions into transparent, professionally governed investigations.”
WAN-IFRA also noted that this year’s winning projects reflect a structural transformation of the sector, in which digital innovation, artificial intelligence, and audience participation are becoming key pillars for the future of journalism and the fight against disinformation.
“Selected from entries across 24 European countries, this year’s winners represent a new era of cross-sector collaboration, demonstrating that journalism’s impact is greatest when it actively engages with the wider community,” the organisation stated.
For the second consecutive year, the awards recognise news publishers across two divisions: one for national and international media organisations and another for local and regional outlets. La Buloteca, was awarded at the national level within its category, sharing recognition with the regional winner “Augsburg checkt’s”, developed by Günter Holland Journalistenschule & Augsburger Allgemeine (Germany). Winners in both divisions automatically qualify for the global competition, with final awards to be announced in June during the World News Media Congress 2026 in Marseille, where the best initiatives in the industry worldwide will be recognised.
With this recognition, La Buloteca positions itself among the most innovative initiatives in information verification at the European level, reinforcing the role of the Fundación Maldita.es as a leading organisation in the development of new tools and models for more open, participatory, and innovative journalism.