World Press Photo is an independent non-profit that champions the power of photojournalism to showcase compelling and urgent stories, deepening our understanding of the world’s complexities to inspire action. Founded in the Netherlands in 1955, World Press Photo has kept stories visible and accessible while empowering audiences worldwide to engage critically with news.

With our global community of photographers and partners, longstanding annual photo contest, global exhibitions in over 80 locations, education programs, and digital platforms, we reach millions of people every year to support the unparalleled impact of photojournalism in world news.

For 70 years, the World Press Photo Contest has been the ultimate time capsule of photojournalism and documentary photography. But the three words that make up our name — World, Press, and Photo — don’t mean what they did in 1955. The “world” is no longer filtered through a single Western perspective. The “press” is a fragmented battlefield of digital noise. And the “photo”? AI-generated photo-like images are making it increasingly difficult for people to recognize and trust real ones - making our work all the more vital.

Our archive holds iconic and lesser-known images from past decades, capturing defining moments of our shared history as well as how they were viewed through the lens of society at the time. While not fully representative of the past, it reflects its historical context.

We understand that historically, the media has been shaped by a narrow perspective, leaving out many voices. Our archive also reflects this imbalance, with past coverage dominated by Western viewpoints and recurring tropes in storytelling. In 2021, only 3% of our contest entrants were from Africa, showing a clear need for change. To address this, we introduced regional juries who better understand and represent diverse perspectives. The photographs selected, each year by independent juries, are not passive records of the past; they are urgent messages for the present and signals for the future.

Since 1955, World Press Photo has supported the courageous photographers who risk their safety to share urgent stories with the world. In an era of censorship, misinformation, and increasing threats to press freedom, we are committed to supporting and amplifying photographers who are telling stories that can change the world.

We believe independent photojournalism and documentary photography play a critical role in keeping urgent issues visible and opening space for understanding in a complex world. By defending press freedom and involving diverse, representative voices, we shape a more inclusive future for journalism. We create opportunities for dialogue, build trust in fact-based storytelling, and highlight the importance of independent journalism. We ensure critical stories are shared and encourage reflection amidst urgency in a fast-changing world.

World Press Photo stands as an advocate for independent photojournalism, ensuring its impact remains accessible, relevant, and sustainable. At a time when emerging technologies and AI reshape the industry, we remain steadfast in our commitment to authentic storytelling, keeping photographers and journalistic integrity at the heart of every decision.

World Press Photo helps set the standards for excellence in news and documentary photography. We advocate for authentic, human-made photography, upheld by rigorous processes that ensure transparency, accuracy, and integrity in every story we award.

Through our annual global photography competition, exhibitions and education programs, we create opportunities for dialogue, build trust in fact-based storytelling, and highlight the importance of independent journalism. We amplify news and documentary photographers, offering international visibility and recognition to both established and emerging voices.

Our work draws a wide global audience every year and gives a dedicated space for photographers to convene and spotlight photojournalism and documentary photography as an important and impactful career. Through local partners around the world, together we provide education, mentoring, and safety training, equipping photographers to navigate an evolving and often unregulated industry.

Through decades of knowledge and perspective, we have refined a rigorous selection process, ensuring that every winning image upholds the highest standards of truth, accuracy, and authenticity, from contextualising its caption to testing for image manipulation. Our independent juries meticulously evaluate each photograph within its context, selecting and awarding work that resonates with millions world-wide and drives real-world impact.

This promotes an increased recognition of and appreciation for quality photojournalism and documentary photography by the general public and decision makers, which in turn opens up space for photographers to do good work.

Will you join us to champion the power of photography to help people understand our shared world and inspire them to act?

For an organization with only 25 staff, we have an outsized impact. We reach millions through our exhibitions, and millions online. With your help, we will grow that number by bringing exhibitions to more locations and expanding our digital reach.

We teach some of the best photographers around the world to help them reach the next level. With your help, we could train larger numbers and help them connect with each other.

We set standards of visual excellence and ethics that help guide the industry in a time of increasing disruption and disinformation. With your help, more photographers will improve how they make people stop, think, feel, and act - especially in countries where there is little support for news and documentary photographers. And we will help a wider public come to recognize and value this work, separating it from the low-quality and often false examples they see so much of online.

In a time when independent photojournalism is increasingly vulnerable, donors and exhibition visitors gift us the ability to work globally with photographers and other partners who believe in the power of photography to inspire change.