It's been 57 years since a Puerto Rican journalist has received the Maria Moors Cabot Prize Gold Medal, presented by Columbia Journalism School. This year, the Island of Enchantment is once again recognized as the honor is given to Omaya Sosa Pascual from the Center for Investigative Journalism (CPI).
“I feel incredibly flattered, incredibly honored, and incredibly happy that the Caribbean is finally being viewed differently,” Sosa Pascual told LatAm Journalism Review (LJR). “I feel this award is a vindication of the work being done here, not only in Puerto Rico, but throughout the Caribbean, a place so mistreated and colonized that is in such need.”
This is the second time in the history of the prize that all four medals have been awarded to women. Sosa Pascual won alongside Nora Gámez Torres, correspondent for the Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald in the U.S.; Mexican journalist Isabella Cota of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ); and Natalia Viana, co-founder of Agência Pública in Brazil.
Omaya Sosa Pascual from the Center for Investigative Journalism (CPI) won the 2025 Maria Moors Cabot Prize Gold Medal. (Photo: Courtesy)
“Before, women faced two challenges: interviews with powerful figures, who were mostly men, and journalistic structures where there was a marked imbalance,” Sosa Pascual said. “But I have to say that things have changed in the 29 years I've been practicing journalism. There's a greater presence of women in senior positions in media here in Puerto Rico.”
The prize jury described Sosa Pascual as one of the region's most important reporters, leaders and editors, highlighting her energy, ideas and determination.
“Investigating power in the Caribbean with few resources and often alone is a daunting task for journalists, especially on small islands where job opportunities are scarce,” the jury said. “Sosa Pascual’s commitment under these circumstances has made her a role model and mentor for many.”
Sosa Pascual began her career as a reporter for newspaper Un Nuevo Día and in 2007 co-founded CPI, the region's first nonprofit investigative journalism center. That same year, she also created Noticel, Puerto Rico's first exclusively digital media outlet.
“I was just a reporter at a traditional media outlet, but with all the internet craze, I was forced to become an entrepreneur,” she said.
The Noticel project was sold after five years under her leadership.
“From that business experience, I took some ideas with me and learned what should be done and where the future of journalism was headed,” she said.
Omaya Sosa Pascual covering the consequences of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017. (Photo: Courtesy)
She has remained part of CPI over the years, training hundreds of journalists from the Caribbean and coordinating high-profile investigations such as the Panama Papers in Puerto Rico, the Telegram chat leak that led to the resignation of Governor Ricardo Rosselló, corruption within the Puerto Rican electoral system and the true death toll from Hurricane Maria in 2017.
“If I had to choose one investigation from all the ones I've done throughout my career, I would choose the one on the deaths from Hurricane Maria,” Sosa Pascual said. “It was an investigation where we went back to the basics of journalism. We had nothing but a notebook and pencil. There was no internet, no cell phones, and we broke one of the most important stories ever reported in Puerto Rico and forced the government to correct itself.”
What happened during the hurricane also inspired her to co-found Es Mental, a digital magazine dedicated to emotional well-being, mental health and human relationships. Currently, Sosa Pascual divides her time between investigative journalism and working on the magazine's editorial staff.
The 2025 Maria Moors Cabot Prize ceremony will be held on Oct. 8, 2025, at Columbia University in New York City.
“Many of the Cabot winners have been my mentors and have interacted with me throughout my career: Marina Walker, Giannina Segnini, Hugo Alconada, Marcela Turati…” Sosa Pascual said. “It truly feels incredible to be part of a group of people I admire so much.”
