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Media Coalition Wins the First IPA Freedom of Expression Defenders Award

The International Publishers Association gave its first Freedom of Expression Defenders Award to the Media Coalition, the U.S. group that sues to block book-restriction laws.

The Publishing Times Staff · October 7, 2026 · 5 min read

Media Coalition Wins the First IPA Freedom of Expression Defenders Award

Who gets an international prize for keeping books on American shelves? A small nonprofit legal group most readers have never heard of. On October 7, 2026, the International Publishers Association (IPA) gave its first Freedom of Expression Defenders Award to the Media Coalition, a U.S. organization that brings lawsuits against laws restricting what can be published, sold, and read. The IPA presented the award at a ceremony at the Frankfurt Book Fair during Banned Books Week.

"The freedom of expression, the freedom to publish and the freedom to read are a trinity of freedoms that unite everyone in the book sector," said Gvantsa Jobava, President of the IPA.

Who the Media Coalition is

According to the IPA, the Media Coalition is "a small, nonprofit legal organization in the United States" that has defended freedom of expression in U.S. courts, including the Supreme Court, since 1973. Its members include the Association of American Publishers (AAP), the Independent Book Publishers Association, American Booksellers for Free Expression, the Authors Guild, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, the Entertainment Software Association, the Freedom to Read Foundation, and the Motion Picture Association.

In the IPA's September shortlist announcement, the Media Coalition described its work as legislative advocacy and litigation, "including bringing more than 40 lawsuits" to block laws that violate First Amendment rights.

Executive Director David Horowitz accepted the award. He thanked the AAP and its President and CEO, Maria Pallante, "for nominating us," and said the coalition was founded "to bring together organizations representing publishers, booksellers, authors, librarians and other media, to work with a single voice to fight censorship." He called the award "welcome encouragement as we continue this critically important fight in an increasingly difficult environment."

The cases the IPA cited

The IPA pointed to three examples of the coalition's work:

  • Virginia obscenity petitions. The coalition helped secure the dismissal of petitions to classify A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas and Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe as obscene under state law. The IPA says the court declared both books not obscene and held the Virginia law unconstitutional as a prior restraint and for violating due process.
  • Book People v. Morath (Texas). In this 2023 case, the coalition joined two Texas bookstores to challenge a state law that would require book vendors and publishers to rate books sold to school libraries for sexual content. The IPA says the judgment held that the law unconstitutionally compels speech, is void for vagueness, and acts as a prior restraint. That judgment is under appeal.
  • Fayetteville Public Library v. Murray (Arkansas). In this 2023 case, the coalition challenged a state law that would have exposed librarians and bookstore owners to criminal prosecution over materials deemed harmful to younger minors, and mandated a book-challenge process in public libraries. The IPA says the court declared the law unconstitutional and permanently blocked it. The state has appealed.

"They have not sought the limelight, but we believe that the Media Coalition should serve as an inspiration for others," said Jessica Sänger, Chair of the IPA's Freedom to Publish Committee.

The rest of the shortlist

The IPA announced five shortlisted nominees on September 9, 2026:

  • The Media Coalition (United States)
  • The Penguin Random House Intellectual Freedom Taskforce (United States), founded in May 2023 and bringing together twenty-five employees across divisions
  • Sovlab, the Soviet Past Research Laboratory (Georgia), which researches Georgia's Soviet past
  • StraightForward Foundation / "Geradeaus" e.V. (Germany), which supports persecuted Russian artists and has produced nine books translated into eleven languages
  • The Turkish Journalists Association (Türkiye), founded in 1946, with nearly 4,000 members

The award is new. The IPA says it launched the prize in 2025, opened nominations in January 2026, and closed them on March 31, 2026. It is one of three awards run by the IPA's Freedom to Publish Committee, alongside the IPA Prix Voltaire for publishers and the Prix Voltaire Special Award.

Why it matters for authors

Book-restriction laws reach authors directly. In the Virginia case, specific novels were named in obscenity petitions. In Texas, the law would require vendors and publishers to rate books. These fights decide whether your book can be sold to schools and stocked in libraries.

Your trade groups are in the room. The Authors Guild and the Independent Book Publishers Association are both members of the Media Coalition, according to the IPA. If you belong to either, part of what you support is this kind of litigation.

Watch the appeals. The IPA says both the Texas and Arkansas rulings are under appeal. Lower-court wins are not the last word, and the outcomes will shape what states can require of booksellers, libraries, and publishers.

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