“I remain endlessly grateful for the photographers who, despite the personal risks and emotional costs, record these stories to give all of us the opportunity to understand, empathize, and be inspired to action. As we look ahead to the next 70 years, World Press Photo remains dedicated to supporting the photographers who risk everything to bring us the truth.” - Joumana El Zein Khoury, executive director, World Press Photo
In 2025, World Press Photo marked its 70th anniversary – a milestone year to reflect on our legacy, strengthen our impact, and look ahead to the future of photojournalism and documentary photography. Building on the lessons learned from our five-year strategy, we continued to evolve as an organization, sharpening our focus on supporting photographers, reaching diverse audiences, and creating sustainable foundations for our work.
The year unfolded against a backdrop of increasing pressure on press freedom, ongoing global conflicts, and a rapidly changing media landscape. Despite these challenges, we celebrated seven decades of connecting people to the stories that matter. We expanded our global exhibitions, strengthened programs for photographers and communities, advanced the digitization of our archive, and used our anniversary as an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to independent photojournalism, visual storytelling, and the power of photography to inform the world.
Image credits (top to bottom, left to right): Thandi Sibeko, Market Photo Workshop; Frank van Beek; Noor Chehabeddine; Laurien Riha.
