A regional investigation combining Malaysiakini’s reporting on Malaysia’s data centre boom with coverage from across Asia has won the Society of Publishers in Asia (Sopa) 2026 Award for Excellence in Reporting on the Environment under the Regional/Local category. 

The award was given to “Dark Side of the Boom”, a collaborative special report led by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN), which exposed the hidden environmental and social costs linked to resource-intensive digital technologies, including the expansion of artificial intelligence, data centres, and other digital infrastructure across the region.

Coordinated by...