Former SBS news presenter Mary Kostakidis has been awarded Consortium News’ 2026 Gary Webb Freedom of the Press Award at a ceremony in Sydney, despite currently facing a Federal Court racial discrimination case over posts she made on X regarding Gaza.
The award was presented on Sunday, June 14, by Consortium News editor Joe Lauria, who praised Kostakidis for being part of a group of journalists who challenge mainstream narratives on foreign policy and war reporting.
Lauria also referenced the award’s origins, created in honour of US journalist Gary Webb, whose reporting on the CIA and the Contra cocaine scandal was later vindicated in part by an internal CIA investigation.
He said Webb was “cast out from the profession that he loved” after major US outlets discredited his work, and that the award recognises journalists who face professional consequences for challenging official accounts.
Kostakidis is currently defending a case brought by the head of the Zionist Federation of Australia, alleging breaches of the Racial Discrimination Act over two X posts made in January 2024.
Her legal team has argued the posts were political commentary directed at the Israeli government, not Jewish people.
Outside court, Kostakidis has previously said: “I’m a strong believer in freedom of the press and the freedom of political expression. I will defend my right to report the news and the right of every journalist to do so and the right of every Australian to engage in public debate.”
Consortium News described her as a journalist of “enormous courage,” linking her case to broader international disputes over freedom of expression and political speech relating to the Israel-Gaza conflict.
