EARSHOT

Journalism Award | Nominee | Freedom of Expression Awards

Earshot is the world’s first nonprofit organisation dedicated to using sound in the fight for human rights and environmental justice. Founded by artist and Private Ear Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Earshot builds on over a decade of research, advocacy, and artistic practice to transform sound into a tool of accountability.

Working with communities affected by state, corporate, and environmental violence, Earshot turns everyday audio – WhatsApp messages, shaky phone footage, audio recorded under duress – into high-resolution forensic evidence. Our investigations expose what falls outside a camera’s frame: from identifying the position of the tank that killed six-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza, to mapping the sonic fingerprint of contested wind turbines in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

Alongside its founding director, Earshot’s core team – Caline Matar, Fabio Cervi, and Adnan Naqvi – stands at the forefront of audio investigations, pioneering new methods to uphold freedom of expression and strengthen the evidentiary power of journalism. Together, they have contributed to more than 40 investigations across the globe in under two years. Their work has featured in over 30 major media outlets, including The New Yorker, Le Monde, The Washington Post, and Al Jazeera. It has powered global advocacy efforts alongside Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Forbidden Stories, and reached over 25 million viewers across digital platforms.

By restoring the soundtrack to the evidentiary record, Earshot brings a new dimension to investigative journalism. We listen not only for what happened, but for how power operates – through silence, noise, and the weaponisation of sound itself.

"In an environment where international law and journalism are under siege, Earshot advances audio as a new field of investigation, adding a new weapon to the arsenal of truth production. We are honoured by Index's nomination for this award, as it confirms the importance of our work in the broader struggle for freedom of expression.”