The Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) has announced the shortlist for the 2026 Sigma Awards — one of the world’s most prestigious honors in data journalism. This year, 543 projects from 84 countries were submitted, and 31 entries made it to the final round.
Among them is the Ukrainian investigation “AI and TikTok: How famous female journalists are being systematically used for undisclosed AI-generated content”, produced by Texty.org.ua together with the Women in Media NGO, in partnership with UNESCO and with support from the Government of Japan.
What the investigation is about
The teams at Texty.org.ua and Women in Media examined how TikTok videos featuring Ukrainian women journalists are being created or manipulated using artificial intelligence.
- 595 AI-generated videos were analyzed.
- Together, these clips have collected more than 24 million views.
- Most examples have signs of technology-facilitated and gender-based violence (TFGBV).
- 116 videos (nearly 20%) contain destructive or anti-Ukrainian narratives.
Recurring themes are manipulation around mobilization, attempts to discredit the government and military-political leadership, fakes claiming neighboring states plan to occupy western Ukraine, and pseudo-promises of “quick peace,” often paired with calls to follow dubious accounts.
The research focuses on women journalists who make up the majority of Ukraine’s media workforce and are frequently targeted by gender-based attacks, including those enabled by AI tools.
Two more Ukrainian projects in the final
The Sigma Awards 2026 shortlist also includes two additional projects participated in by Ukrainian newsrooms:
- Silent victims of war: how Russia is robbing Ukrainian children of their identity — a joint project by Neue Zürcher Zeitung and Texty.org.ua.
- Pirates of the Azov Sea — an investigation by KibOrg, NGL.media, Slidstvo.Info, and OCCRP.
The ten winners will be announced in April 2026.
Liza Kuzmenko, head of Women in Media, commented: “We are proud of this work. It matters to us that the international professional community recognizes the problem of technology-facilitated and gender-based violence against women journalists. This is not only about fakes or manipulation — i t’s about a systemic attack on trust, safety, and the reputation of women in media. We especially value being able to deliver projects like this in partnership with strong Ukrainian and international institutions — particularly Texty and UNESCO.”
The inclusion of Ukrainian investigations on an international shortlist highlights the role Ukrainian newsrooms and civil society organizations play in shaping the global agenda on journalist safety, countering disinformation, and preventing the abuse of artificial intelligence.
“Making the Sigma Awards shortlist shows that Ukrainian data journalism can compete on the global stage. And in the context of our study, it’s a signal that the abuse of AI for manipulation and the discrediting of public figures, women journalists in particular, resonates far beyond Ukraine. It’s also motivation to keep digging into complex issues at the intersection of technology and manipulation,” — said Serhii Mikhalkov, a data analyst at Texty.org.ua.