An Open Letter to World Press Photo
For 68 years, the World Press Photo Foundation (WPP) has promoted the work and dedication of photojournalists. It has defined ethical standards that are crucial to uphold the integrity of our work. In times of viral disinformation, these standards are now more critical than ever. We need to defend them vigorously.
In recent days, WPP has announced that they will allow generative artificial intelligence (GAI) in the open format category. Additionally, WPP has promoted images created by GAI on their Instagram feed. These images, which are in essence digital mashups drawing from existing photography, are often hard to distinguish from actual photographs, but are devoid of any connection to the real world. This connection to the real world, the world as it is, is at the core not only of photojournalistic practice, but of journalism in general. Both moves undermine what we do fundamentally.
While we encourage discourse about the emergence and implications of AI creations, we are deeply troubled that WPP promotes images that would not be acceptable in any format by WPP’s own standards. We ask WPP to cease promoting these images and reconsider allowing AI in any form in the contest. We also encourage a discussion about the structure of the categories.
WPP should continue upholding and defining the ethical standards of our industry. Now more than ever.
Sincerely,
Matthew Abbott
Finalis Spot News 2021
Nominee Asia Pacific Story 2022
Winner Global Story of the Year 2022
David Airob, Photojournalist
Third Prize Multimedia 2014
Diana Zeyneb Alhindawi, Photojournalist
Maya Alleruzzo, Photojournalist
Second Prize Contemporary Issues Stories 2021
Eliana Aponte, Photojournalist
General News Jury 2016
Samuel Aranda
World Press Photo of the Year 2012
Bernat Armangué, Photojournalist
First Prize Spot News Stories 2013
María Magdalena Arréllaga, Photojournalist
Walter Astrada, Photojournalist
First Prize Contemporary Issues Singles 2007
First Prize Spot News Stories 2009
First Prize Spot News Stories 2010
Jury General News and Spot News 2015
Jury Joop Swart Masterclass 2010
Jury Joop Swart Masterclass 2011
Anush Babajanyan, Photojournalist
Long-Term Project Award 2023
Martina Bacigalupo, Documentary Photographer and Photo Editor
Joop Swap Masterclass 2008
Long-Term Sories Jury 2021
Daniel Berehulak, Photojournalist
Third Prize People in the News Singles 2008
First Prize People in the News Stories 2011
Third Prize General News Stories 2013
Third Prize General News Stories 2016
First Prize Daily Life Stories 2016
First Prize General News Stories 2017
Nina Berman Documentary Photographer
First Prize Portraits 2007
Second Prize Portrait Stories 2005
Jury 2011
Massimo Berruti, Photojournalist
Second Price Contemporary Issue 2007
Joop Swart Masterclass 2008
Second Price General News 2011
Gabriela Bhaskar, Photojournalist and Educator
Christian Bobst, Photojournalist
Second Prize Sports 2016
BOBY, Photojournalist
Thomas Borberg, Photo Editor
Documentary and News Jury 2016
Chairman of the Sports Jury 2018
Michele Borzoni, Photographer
First Prize People in the News 2010
Eric Bouvet, Photojournalist
Second Prize Nature 1987
First and Third Prize News 1990
Second Prize News 1991
Third Prize News 1996
Anna Boyiazis, Documentary Photographer
Second Prize People Stories 2018
Maximiliano Braun, Photojournalist
Patrick Brown, Photojournalist
Second Prize Nature Stories 2005
First Prize General News Singles 2018
Picture of the Year 2018
WPP FotoEvidence Book Award 2019
Fabio Bucciarelli, Photojournalist
Second Prize Spot News Stories 2013
Second Prize General News 2020
David Burnett, Photojournalist
World Press Photo of the Year 1980
Third Prize People in the News 1984
Sports First Prize Sports 1985
Third Prize News Feature 1985
Sports Third Prize 2003
Sports First Prize 2005
Sports Action 1 Prize
Jury Chair
Victor R. Caivano, Visual Journalist
Dylan Calves, Photo Editor
Alejandro Cegarra, Photojournalist
Third Prize Long-Term Projects 2019
Joop Swart Masterclass 2015
Michael Robinson Chávez, Photojournalist
Jordi Ruiz Cirera, Documentary Photographer
Martin Colombet, Photojournalist
Felipe Dana
Honorable Mention Contemporary Issues 2013
Joop Swart Latin Masterclass 2015
Third Place Spot News 2017
Global Jury, South America Jury Chair 2023
Wiliam Daniels, Photographer
Third Prize Contemporary Issues 2008
Second Prize General News 2014
Jerome Delay, Photojournalist
Teacher Joop Swart Masterclass 2001
Nadja Delmouly, Photo Editor
Bryan Denton, Photojournalist and Photo Editor
Joop Swart Masterclass 2014
Cesar Dezfuli
Open Format Europe 2023
Agnes Dherbeys, Photojournalist
Second Prize Spot News Stories 2007
André Duhme, Photographer
Aristide Economopoulos, Photojournalist
Second Prize Sports 1998
Sarah Elliott, Photojournalist
Third Prize Contemporary Issues Stories 2011
Ramon Espinosa, Photojournalist
Third Prize Spot News 2020
Daniel Etter, Photojournalist
Third Prize Contemporary Issues Singles 2017
Antonio Faccilongo, Documentary Photographer
World Press Photo Story of the Year 2021
First Prize Long-term project 2021
Timothy Fadek, Photojournalist
Adam Ferguson, Photographer
First Prize Portrait Stories 2020
Nominee Photo of the Year 2018
First Prize Portrait Stories 2018
First Prize Spot News 2010
Joop Swart Masterclass 201
Adriana L. Fernandez, Photojournalist
Eladio Fernandez, Conservation Photographer and Filmmaker
Nature Jury 2021
Malin Fezehai
Third Prize Daily Life 2015
Frank Fournier
World Press Photo of the Year 1986
First Prize Spot News 1966
First Prize General News 1991
Honorable Mention Science and Technology 1988
Second Prize News Feature 1988
Focus Agency Hamburg
Silke Frigge, laif Photo Agency
Emily Garthwaite, Photojournalist
Mojgan Ghanbari, Documentary Photographer
Joop Swart Masterclass 2017
Shannon Ghannam, Educator
Ashley Gilbertson, Photojournalist
Benjamin Girette, Photojournalist
Markus Glahn, Photojournalist
David Goldman, Photojournalist
First Prize Arts and Entertainment 2012
David Guttenfelder, Photojournalist
Second Prize Portrait 2002
First Prize Daily Life 2005
First Prize General News 2006
Second Prize Sports Feature 2006
First Prize Daily Life 2007
Second Prize Portraits 2010
Third Prize General News 2012
Third Prize Long-term Project 2016
Jury 2014
Tanya Habjouqa, Documentary Photographer
Second Prize Daily Life Stories 2014
Jury Joop Swart Masterclass 2014
Teacher Joop Swart Masterclass 2015
Jury Joop Swart Masterclass 2017
General Jury 2017
Kiana Hayeri, Photojournalist
Nanna Heitmann, Photojournalist
6x6 Europe Talent 2020
Joop Swart Masterclass 2020
Europe Stories 2022
Esther Horvath, Photographer
First Prize Environment Singles 2020
Tomas van Houtryve, Visual Artist
Second Prize Contemporary Issues 2015
Sara Hylton, Documentary Photographer and Educator
Diego Ibarra Sánchez, Photojournalist
Stuart Isett, Photographer
Jonas Kako
Winner Singles North and Central America 2023
Michael Vince Kim, Documentary Photographer
First Prize People Stories 2017
Joop Swart Masterclass 2017
Yunghi Kim
First Place General News Stories 1997
First Place General News Stories 1999
Honorable Mention Daily Life 1995
Instructor World Press Photo Workshops in Skopje, Macedonia and Jakarta, Indonesia
Alejandro Kirchuk, Photographer
David Klammer, Photojournalist
Third Prize Sports Feature 2007
Serhii Korovayny, Photojournalist
Matjaz Krivic
Second Prize Portrait Singles 2016
Maya Levin, Photojournalist
Asia Singles 2023
Lars Lindemann, Curator and Photo Editor
Environment and Nature Jury 2020
Nature Jury Chair 2021
Exhibition Partner 2016–2022
Christopher Lee, Photojournalist
Jean-François Leroy, Visa pour l’Image
Edna Leshowitz, Photojournalist
Melissa Lyttle, Photojournalist
Evgeniy Maloletka, Photojournalist
World Press Photo of the Year 2023
Maximilian Mann, Documentary Photographer
Second Prize Environment 2020
Enric Marti
First Prize Nature 2000
Jury 2008
Catalina Martin-Chico
Finalist Photo of the Year 2019
Second Prize Contemporary Issues Stories 2019
Andres Martinez Casares, Photojournalist
Alice Martins, Photojournalist
News and Documentary Jury 2018
General Jury 2019
Sasha Maslov, Photojournalist
Pietro Masturzo, Photojournalist
World Press Photo of the Year 2010
First Prize People in the News 2010
Tim Matsui, Photojournalist
First Prize Long Feature 2015
Don McCullin, Photojournalist
World Press Photo of the Year 1964
Third Prize General News 1964
First Prize Photo Stories 1973
First Prize News Picture 1977
Cathal McNaughton, Photojournalist
Dilip Mehta
Third Prize News Feature 1985
John Moore, Photojournalist
Third Prize General News Singles 2005
First Prize Spot News Stories 2008
First Prize Spot News Singles 2008
Second Prize People in the News Stories 2012
First Prize Spot News Singles, 2019
World Press Photo of the Year, 2019
Victor Moriyama, Photojournalist
Ilvy Njiokiktjien, Photojournalist
Joop Swart Masterclass 2012
First Prize Digital Storytelling Contest 2012
Second Prize Contemporary Issues Singles 2012
Nominee Multimedia Contest 2020
Paulo Nunes dos Santos, Photojournalist
Maciek Nabrdalik
Second Prize Contemporary Issues 2014
Musuk Nolte
South America Singles 2023
Ingmar Björn Nolting, Photojournalist
Daniel Ochoa de Olza, Photojournalist
Second Prize Observed Portraits 2013
Second Prize People 2016
Alessandro Penso, Photojournalist
First Prize General News 2014
Fausto Podavini, Photojournalist
First Prize Daily Life 2013
Second Prize Long-Term Project 2018
Karel Prinsloo, Photojournalist
Second Prize General News Stories, 2001
Finbarr O’Reilly, Photojournalist
World Press Photo of the Year 2006
First Prize Portraits 2019
Second Place, People in the News, 2006
Ayman Oghanna, Photojournalist
Cloé Kerhoas Özmen, Editor, Photography Consultant and Educator
Emin Özmen
Second Prize Spot News 2012
First Prize Long Form 2014
Multimedia Contest Jury 2016
Digital Storytelling Contest Jury 2018
Ed Ou, Photojournalist
Joop Swart Masterclass 2010
First Prize Contemporary Issues 2011
Second Prize Digital Storytelling Contest 2020
Nominee Online Video of the Year 2020
Katie Orlinsky, Photojournalist
Third Prize Environment Stories 2020
Warrick Page, Photojournalist
Santi Palacios, Photojournalist
Second Prize General News 2017
6x6 Talent in Europe 2018
Regional Jury 2023
Pietro Paolini, Photographer
Second Prize Daily Life 2012
Daniel Pilar, Photojournalist
Sergey Ponomarev, Photojournalist
Third Prize General News 2015
First Prize General News 2016
Second Prize General News 2017
Ivor Prickett, Photojournalist
Joop Swart Masterclass 2011
First Prize General News Stories 2018
Two-time Photo of Year Nominee 2018
Third Prize General News Stories 2020
Photo of the Year Nominee 2020
Tess Raimbeau, Photo Editor
Jonathan Rashad, Photojournalist and Film Director
WPP Reporting Change 2013
Alon Reininger
World Press Photo of the Year 1987
Individual Award 1987
Science & Technology 1989
Hannah Reyes Morales, Photojournalist
Southeast Asia Stories 2023
Joop Swart Masterclass 2018
6x6 program
Federico Rios, Photojournalist
Nicolò Filippo Rosso
Third Prize Contemporary Issues 2020
Emanuele Satolli, Photojournalist
Ronaldo Schemidt, Photojournalist
World Press Photo of the Year 2018
First Prize Spot News 2018
Bradley Secker, Photojournalist
Francisco Seco, Photojournalist
Chloe Sharrock, Photojournalist
Jeffrey D Smith, Executive Director Contact Press Images
Nichole Sobecki, Photojournalist
Ben C. Solomon, Videojournalist
Second Prize Digital Storytelling Short Feature 2015
First Prize Digital Storytelling Innovative Storytelling 2016
Third Prize Digital Storytelling Contest, Immersive Storytelling 2018
Tino Soriano, Photographer
First Prize Art 1999
Gaia Squarci, Photojournalist and Educator
John Stanmeyer, Photojournalist
First Place News Stories 1999
Third Place News Stories 1999
World Press Photo of the Year 2014
Daro Sulakauri, Photojournalist
Joop Swart Masterclass 2017
Hillary Swift, Photojournalist
Pierre Terdjman, Photojournalist and Educator
Nikita Teryoshin
Joop Swart Masterclass 2019
First Prize Contemporary Issues Singles 2020
Scout Tufankjian, Photojournalist
Nicole Tung, Photojournalist
Paolo Verzone, Documentary Photographer
Third Prize Portraits 2001
Third Prize Sports Feature 2009
Third Prize Portrait Stories 2015
Laetitia Vançon, Photojournalist
Esteban Vanegas
Environment Jury 2021
Rafael Vilela, Photographer
Véronique de Viguerie, Photojournalist
Third Prize Contemporary Issues 2009
Daniele Volpe, Documentary Photographer
Second Prize General News 2019
Third Prize Long-Term Projects 2020
James B Wellford, Photo Editor
Alex Wroblewski, Photojournalist
Daniella Zalcman, Documentary Photographer
Cyril Zannettacci, Photojournalist
Adriana Zehbrauskas, Photojournalist and Educator
Christian Ziegler, Photojournalist
