2026 WAN-IFRA Golden Pen of Freedom to be awarded to the professional photo and video journalists of Gaza
The 2026 Golden Pen of Freedom, WAN-IFRA’s annual press freedom award, will be awarded to the professional photographers and videographers working in Gaza.
“For over two and a half years, journalists in Gaza have recorded death, destruction, and human suffering in unparalleled terms,” reads the award citation. “They are as much victims of the conflict as they are chroniclers of a war that erupted — and continues — around them.”
The outbreak of war, in response to deadly attacks launched by Hamas on 7th October 2023 that resulted in the largest loss of life in a single atrocity in the history of Israel, has since led to over 260 journalists being killed, the vast majority in Gaza. Research by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) found at least 64 of these journalists were deliberately targeted by Israeli military forces — an act considered a war crime under international law. So far, limited official investigations have failed to offer justice to the families or colleagues of those killed.
Foreign media have largely been prevented from entering Gaza, unless under strict Israeli military supervision, and the burden of reporting the impact of the war — and the ensuing humanitarian crisis — has fallen squarely on Palestinian journalists in Gaza.
“There is no replacing brave, independent journalism. And there can be no replacement for journalists who day in, day out get the images out, often at appalling costs,” said David Walmsley, editor-in-chief of Canada’s Globe and Mail and president of the World Editors Forum, who will present the award. “The photo and video journalists of Gaza brought the world’s attention to a story that would otherwise have been suppressed.”
Wider understanding of the war “has been shaped by reliance on their sacrifice, dedication, and professionalism in desperate circumstances,” continues the award citation. “Their work has fuelled coverage of the devastation of Gaza and its people that has reached around the globe; their documentation will remain a visual testimony.”
The award will be received by representatives of the three main international news agencies operating in Gaza — Agence France-Presse, The Associated Press, and Reuters — whose local journalists continue to provide consistent, professional coverage under extremely challenging conditions.
Highlighting the work of journalists in Gaza
Included in the World News Media Congress programme, and as part of the Golden Pen of Freedom award presentation, WAN-IFRA will host an exclusive exhibition showcasing award-winning photographers whose work has informed global understanding of the war in Gaza.
Featuring a selection of images that capture the narrative of the conflict, and in particular the human tragedy underlying it, the exhibition is a collaboration between Agence France-Presse (AFP), The Associated Press (AP), and Reuters, and will be prominently displayed during the event.
The Congress programme will also feature a special screening of the award-winning film ‘Inside Gaza’ on Tuesday, 2nd June, followed by a discussion on lessons learned from the crisis for newsrooms worldwide. The documentary follows AFP’s team of Palestinian journalists in the aftermath of the 7th October attacks when the territory was closed off to the international media. The landmark documentary by Hélène Lam Trong offers a rare and unique insider’s view on the challenges of reporting from Gaza during the war.
Support to media professionals in Gaza
WAN-IFRA’s Media Freedom division has a longstanding commitment to supporting Palestinian colleagues as part of an international portfolio of programmes and initiatives. Its Social Impact Reporting Initiative (SIRI) showcases public-interest journalism, providing flexible grants, mentoring, and editorial support to journalists and media organisations as part of WAN-IFRA’s flagship Women In News programme.
In Gaza, this mission has taken on urgent meaning. Implemented in partnership with the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) and supported by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the initiative focuses specifically on freelance women journalists as they have become the backbone of reporting in Gaza.
SIRI Gaza combines reporting grants with intensive editorial mentorship, training in gender-sensitive storytelling, and access to safe workspaces and essential infrastructure. Since 2024, 60 freelance women journalists have been supported. Beyond content production, the programme has helped journalists sustain their careers, rebuild professional confidence, and remain active in a collapsing media ecosystem. It has also contributed to more gender-sensitive and inclusive reporting on the war, challenging dominant narratives that often overlook the lived experiences of civilians.
A current round of SIRI Gaza is underway, supporting an additional 30 freelance women journalists.
About the Golden Pen
The Golden Pen of Freedom is WAN-IFRA’s annual award recognising individuals or organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to the defence and promotion of press freedom. One of the objectives of the Golden Pen is to turn the spotlight of public attention on repressive governments and the journalists who fight them.
The laureate is nominated from a shortlist of candidates by the board of the World Editors Forum, and confirmed by the board of WAN-IFRA. The first Golden Pen of Freedom was awarded in 1961 to Ahmet Emin Yalman of Turkey. Last year’s award recognised the Independent Press of Ukraine.
The only previous Palestinian laureate of the Pen was political cartoonist Naji al-Ali, awarded posthumously in 1988.
More on the Golden Pen of Freedom
Golden Pen of Freedom laureates 1961-2025
2025 The Independent Press of Ukraine, Ukraine
2024 Carlos Chamorro, Nicaragua
2023 Elahe Mohammadi and Niloofar Hamedi, Iran
2022 Gazeta Wyborcza and the Gazeta Wyborcza Foundation, Poland
2021 Jimmy Lai and the Apple Daily Newsroom, Hong Kong
2020 Jineth Bedoya Lima, Colombia
2019 Jamal Khashoggi (posthumous), Saudi Arabia
2018 Maria Ressa, Philippines
2017 Can Dündar, Turkey
2016 Dmitry Muratov, Russia
2015 Journalists killed in the line of duty, Worldwide
2014 Eskinder Nega, Ethiopia
2013 Than Htut Aung, Myanmar
2012 Anabel Hernández, México
2011 Dawit Isaak, Eritrea/Sweden
2010 Ahmad Zeidabadi, Iran
2009 Najam Sethi, Pakistan
2008 Li Changqing, China
2007 Shi Tao, China
2006 Akbar Ganji, Iran
2005 Mahjoub Mohamed Salih, Sudan
2004 Ruslan Sharipov, Uzbekistan
2003 Belarusian Association of Journalists, Belarus
2002 Geoffrey Nyarota, Zimbabwe
2001 Win Tin, San San Nweh, Burma
2000 Nizar Nayouf, Syria
1999 Faraj Sarkohi, Iran
1998 Doan Viet Hoat, Vietnam
1997 Naša borba, Feral Tribune, Oslobođenje, Bosnia-Herzogovina
1996 Yndamiro Restano Díaz, Cuba
1995 Gao Yu, China
1994 Omar Belhouchet, Algeria
1993 Pius Njawe, Cameroon
1992 Dai Qing, China
1991 Gitobu Imanyara, Kenya
1990 Luis Gabriel Cano, Colombia
1989 Sergei Grigoryants, Soviet Union
1988 Naji al-Ali (posthumous), Palestinian territories
1987 Juan Pablo Cárdenas, Chile
1986 Anthony Heard, South Africa
1985 Joaquin Roces, Philippines
1982 P. Joaquin Chamorro Barrios, Nicaragua
1981 José Javier Uranga, Spain
1980 Jacobo Timerman, Argentina
1979 Claude Bellanger (posthumous), France
1978 Donald Woods, Percy Qoboza, South Africa
1977 Robert High Lilley, Northern Ireland
1976 Raul Régo, Portugal
1975 Sang-Man Kim, South Korea
1974 Julio de Mesquita Neto, Brazil
1973 Anton Betz, Germany
1972 Hubert Beuve-Méry, France
1970 Alberto Gainza Paz, Argentina
1969 The Czechoslovak press, Czechoslovakia
1968 Christos Lambrakis, Greece
1967 Mochtar Lubis, Indonesia
1966 Jules Dubois, USA
1965 Esmond Wickremesing, Sri Lanka
1964 Gabriel Makoto, Democratic Republic of the Congo
1963 Guardian Sein Win, Burma
1961 Ahmet Emin Yalman, Turkey
Media enquiries:
Andrew Heslop
Executive Director, WAN-IFRA Media Freedom
andrew.heslop@wan-ifra.org
About Congress 2026
The 77th World News Media Congress is taking place in Marseille, France from 31st May to 3rd June, and will explore the bold ideas, technologies, and strategies reshaping the future of journalism and news media.
At a time of profound industry transformation driven by artificial intelligence, shifting audience expectations, and evolving business models, the Congress provides a trusted forum for senior leaders to exchange insights, address strategic challenges, and identify opportunities for sustainable growth.
Three conference tracks – AI in Media, Future of Journalism, and Revenue and Growth – will feature high-profile speakers and practitioners, with sessions providing a unique platform to explore emerging trends, share best practices, and shape the global media agenda.
About WAN-IFRA
WAN-IFRA is the global organisation of the world’s press, comprising 3,000 news publishers and technology companies and 60 national publishers’ associations representing 18,000 publications in 120 countries. With a mission to protect the rights of journalists and publishers around the world to operate independent media, WAN-IFRA provides its members with expertise and services to innovate and prosper in a digital world and perform their crucial role in society.
About the World Editors Forum
The World Editors Forum is the global network for editors within WAN-IFRA.
