What keeps journalists going, even in uncertain times?
At Home of Journalists, our Media Ambassadors — journalists from across BRl countries — bring with them stories shaped by different regions, realities, and challenges. Each year at the Belt and Road Journalists Forum, they meet not just to exchange experience, but to listen to one another as peers.
In today’s third set of New Year messages, our ambassadors reflect on resilience, responsibility, and the quiet strength it takes to keep reporting with integrity. As 2025 comes to a close, their words remind us that journalism is not only about bearing witness to the world but also about holding on to conscience, dialogue, and hope. Read the full texts of their New Year messages below, and You’re also welcome to share your own hopes for 2026 with our global journalism community on Home of Journalists Facebook !
1. New Year message from Zhao Yipu
Correspondent of People’s Daily Pakistan Bureau
New Year message of Media Ambassadors from International Home of Journalists
The greatest charm of journalism lies in exploring the truth of what is happening in the world, and telling the truth to more people, allowing people to judge by itself which road to take and how society progress basing on all the truth journalism telling. I don’t believe journalism is an estate, actually it’s a lookout. Journalism cannot make the ship of state faster, but it can help the ship see the course ahead.
I share these words with all my colleagues of journalism. We will never forget why we started, even though we have crossed a long way.
2. New Year message from Jamile Barreto
Member of Deliberative Council and Board of Directors for Ethnic and Racial Equality of the Brazilian Press Association -ABI, Brazil
2025 was not just another year on the calendar. It was a year of crossings. Decisions that required courage, of encounters that widened perspectives, and of opportunities that emerged not by chance, but as the result of choices made along the way.
It was a year marked by beginnings. New projects, new invitations, new responsibilities. A period in which work gained even more meaning as it remained deeply connected to what has always guided my path: a commitment to human rights, ethical journalism, diversity, and the ongoing effort to build dialogue in an increasingly fragmented world.
2025 was also a year of listening. Careful, intentional listening to people, to contexts, to silences. In a time overwhelmed by noise, listening became a political act. Conversations with students, professionals, leaders, and colleagues from different parts of the world reinforced a long-held belief: journalism remains one of democracy’s most essential pillars, especially when it is challenged, questioned, or under attack.
There were physical and symbolic journeys. Representing the Brazilian Press Association and Latin American journalists in an international forum, engaging with diverse realities, and observing how other countries navigate information, power, and narrative became a profoundly enriching learning experience.
Each exchange was a reminder that, despite borders, we share the same struggles: the fight for press freedom, safety, dignified working conditions, and narratives that do not erase people, histories, or territories.
It was not an easy year. No meaningful year ever is. There was fatigue, doubt, and the need to rethink directions. However, there was also growth, recognition, and the quiet certainty that choosing coherence, even when the path feels longer, remains the right choice.
As 2025 comes to a close, I carry gratitude for the opportunities, for the people who walked alongside me, and for the stories that were told and, above all, for those that still need to be.
May we continue to ask hard questions, even when the answers are uncomfortable.
Happy New Year – 2026!
3. New Year message from Predrag Rava
President of the Journalists Association of Vojvodina – Association of Journalists of Serbia, Serbia
In the coming year, I wish all my colleagues courage, professionalism, and responsibility in the stories we build together. May the media remain a space for dialogue and understanding, where journalists connect cultures, build bridges, and foster collaboration among people around the world. Happy New Year!
4. New Year message from Liu Yang
Deputy Director, In-Depth Reporting Desk, Int’l News Department, Xinhua News Agency
As we enter the new year, it is crucial that we create a safer environment for journalists, where the pursuit of truth is protected, not threatened. In a world of rising tensions, we must work together to counter chaos and disorder that erode trust and cooperation. By strengthening journalist-to-journalist dialogue, we can bridge misunderstandings and build a foundation of trust across borders.