José J. Nieves

Nieves is a 2026 ICFJ Knight International Journalism Award winner.

José J. Nieves is a Cuban journalist and the editor-in-chief of elTOQUE, an independent media outlet that has become an essential source of information in one of the world’s most repressive media environments. Leading a transnational newsroom from exile, Nieves has helped pioneer data-driven journalism, public-service tools and sustainable news business models.

Founded in 2014, elTOQUE quickly became one of the country’s most trusted independent digital publications. After government repression forced many of its journalists into exile, elTOQUE evolved into a virtual newsroom spread across multiple countries. Today, despite operating from abroad and its website being officially blocked inside Cuba, roughly 50% of elTOQUE’s audience comes from the island.

Under Nieves’ leadership since 2017, elTOQUE has developed innovative digital tools that provide critical civic infrastructure for Cubans. Its AI-powered currency tracker has become the primary reference for tracking the country’s informal currency market. The tool calculates real-time exchange rates that the Cuban government had long refused to publish until recently – instead using an official rate widely understood to bear no relation to reality. In a country where stable foreign currencies are essential to buying basic goods and keeping businesses afloat, the tracker is used monthly by at least 360,000 individuals. elTOQUE also runs Legalis, a legal-information platform and chatbot that helps Cubans navigate the country’s legal system.

elTOQUE’s journalism has led to real change. Its reporting of the Cuban labor minister’s comment that there were no beggars in Cuba sparked widespread public outrage and contributed to the official’s resignation. Another one of its projects, “La Travesía,” documents the deaths and disappearances of Cuban migrants and has become a reference for other organizations and outlets.

elTOQUE’s independent reporting has made it a target of escalating government repression. Two waves of repression in 2022 and 2024 led to arrests, interrogations and intimidation against staff and collaborators, forcing many into exile or out of journalism entirely. In 2024, Nieves, who has lived in Miami with his family since 2019, received threatening messages accompanied by photos and videos taken outside his home. 

Nieves has used his experience running elTOQUE to help other exiled media build sustainable business models. To reduce dependence on grants, elTOQUE launched a communications and consulting agency that provides digital, editorial and production services to other organizations. Nieves is also the executive director of Mas Voces Foundation, the legal entity behind elTOQUE, which supports other independent news providers with training, infrastructure and fundraising support. Nieves further explored sustainability strategies for exiled media through “Hablando en Plata,” a video podcast produced as part of an ICFJ Knight Fellowship. 

Nieves began his journalism career at a state-run radio station in Cienfuegos, Cuba, before transitioning to independent journalism in 2014. He was a 2024 Newmark J+ Social Impact Fellow at the City University of New York and a 2024-2025 ICFJ Knight Fellow. Under his leadership, elTOQUE has received multiple international honors, including recognition from the Online Journalism Awards and the Latin American Studies Association.