The Mooknayak Founder Meena Kotwal Selected for Prestigious RSF Berlin Fellowship

Meena Kotwal, the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of 'The Mooknayak'—an independent digital media platform amplifying the voices of marginalized communities in India—has been selected for the prestigious Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Fellowship in Germany. She shared this proud milestone on the social media platform X on June 25.

Emphasizing that learning never stops, Kotwal expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to exchange ideas with global journalists and further strengthen independent journalism.

Kotwal's journey in journalism is a remarkable story of resilience and triumph against severe odds. Born to parents who worked as daily wage laborers, she grew up with extremely limited resources. Overcoming structural barriers, she became one of the first Dalit women from her community to forge a successful career in journalism and establish an independent media house. Prior to founding The Mooknayak, she worked with BBC Hindi, extensively reporting on caste, gender, and social justice issues.

Through The Mooknayak, Kotwal has consistently focused on bringing the issues of India's most marginalized sections, including Dalits, tribal communities, and women, into mainstream discourse. Her impactful, grassroots-level work has garnered significant national and international acclaim. She has been profiled by leading global media outlets such as The New York Times, Nieman Reports, Voice of America, Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle, and Le Figaro.

Beyond her reporting, Kotwal's expertise is sought after globally. She has been invited to speak on media diversity and social justice at some of the world's premier academic institutions, including Harvard University, Columbia University, the University of Michigan, Stanford University, and the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Her exceptional developmental reporting has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards. She received the HRRF Journalism Award in 2022, instituted by the Indian diaspora in the United States. Furthermore, she was honored with the IIMCA Award for Developmental Reporting three times—first in 2019, followed by two more in 2020. Her work has also earned her two Laadli Media Appreciation citations, supported by the UNFPA and the Norwegian Embassy.

This is not Kotwal's first global fellowship. In 2023, she was a fellow with the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) in Sweden, and in 2024, she secured the International Trade Journalism Fellowship from the National Press Foundation in Singapore. Under her current RSF Fellowship in Berlin, she is advancing her education in digital security, participating in specialized training courses, and learning new languages.

"Being selected for the RSF Berlin Fellowship is much more than a personal achievement for me. It is a significant honor for The Mooknayak and the marginalized communities whose voices we consistently strive to bring forward. Reporters Without Borders is one of the world's most respected press freedom organizations. This opportunity brings both honor and a great responsibility. Through this fellowship, I will gain new insights and experiences in digital security, global collaboration, and strengthening independent journalism, which I will utilize upon returning to India to further empower my newsroom and reporting. I believe this experience will help us amplify the voices of marginalized communities to the world even more effectively." — Meena Kotwal, Founder-Editor, The Mooknayak