The best European journalism of the year: The European Press Prize announces its 2023 Shortlist

The European Press Prize announced, live from the International Journalism Festival in Perugia, the finalists of its 2023 edition. This year’s Shortlist counts articles and projects selected among hundreds of submissions coming from more than 40 countries, and published in more than 35 languages.

This year’s edition of the European Press Prize, the awards for excellence in European journalism, received hundreds of entries from more than 40 of the eligible European countries in over 35 languages. From this pool, the Preparatory Committee selected 25 articles and projects, divided into the five categories of Distinguished Reporting, Investigative Reporting, Innovation, Public Discourse and Migration Journalism (each worth 10,000€). 

The Prize finalists tackle, with their works, topics that are crucial for Europe and beyond. For example, “Ammar in the Polish wardrobe: A story about hiding refugees on the Polish-Belarusian border”; “All she wanted was a photo of the new-born babies and asked that István and Tamás love the twins”, which tells the story of a couple of fathers and their two adopted kids, tackling homophobia in Hungary; “Ailing Brussels”, an evaluation of the economic-social discrepancies in Brussels; “Death Weapons: Inside a Teenage Terrorist Network”, which reveals how a network of young neo-Nazis is setting up terrorist cells across Europe and the US; and “The eye of the whale”, an essay on the natural world and our connection to animals.

A Special Award category for Ukraine Reporting

Every year, a Special Award is handed out by the Panel of Judges to one outstanding entry defying disciplines and categories.

This year, the Preparatory Committee, in accordance with the Panel of Judges, has decided to transform the Award into a category itself, called Special Award: Ukraine Reporting, with five shortlisted pieces.

Cristian Lupșa, Chair of the Preparatory Committee: “In these extraordinary times, coverage of the war in Ukraine – chronicles from the frontlines, stories of resistance, and dogged watchdog reporting – deserves dedicated attention. From dozens of Ukraine-connected entries in multiple categories we picked a handful of investigations and on-the-ground accounts that reflect the breadth, depth, and courage of this work. We’re honoured and humbled by this important testimony.”

The new Migration Journalism Award

This year the European Press Prize is also awarding the Migration Journalism Award, a new category launched in 2022 by joining forces with Fundacíon porCausa and the International Congress on Migration Journalism in Mérida.

The five shortlisted pieces of this new category, looking into migration from different angles, were selected among over 100 submissions. 

The European Press Prize is honoured to announce that the prize money of the first edition of the Migration Journalism Award is supported by the Robert Bosch Stiftung. 

Dr. Raphaela Schweiger, Director of the Migration Program at the Robert Bosch Stiftung, about their support for the Migration Journalism Award: “Narratives about migrants and refugees and the role of media and journalism are deeply entangled. The establishment of a European Migration Journalism Award contributes to uplifting transparent, independent reporting on migration, bringing nuances into a way too often polarised debate.” 

Announced in Perugia, during the International Journalism Festival

This year’s shortlist was announced during the International Journalism Festival, the event that every year brings together, in Perugia, journalists, activists, and experts in the field of media from all over the world, as part of the official collaboration between the European Press Prize and the Festival.

The announcement was organised in collaboration with the European Press Prize member Vereniging Veronica.

Yoeri Albrecht, Board Member of the European Press Prize and Chairman of the Board of Vereniging Veronica: “As one of the founders Vereniging Veronica is extremely proud about 11 years of Laureates and Shortlists. Our goal to shed light on the abundance of quality journalism in Europe is reflected  in the extreme quality of the European Press Prize nominations.”

The Prize 2023 Shortlist (click here to discover it)

The Distinguished Reporting Award

Sámi for life, by Lena Bjurström, Thomas Dévényi, published by Les Jours (France)

The travelling tribunal, by Johannes Böhme, published by Die Zeit (Germany)

All she wanted was a photo of the new-born babies and asked that István and Tamás love the twins, by Luca Pintér, Orsi Ajpek, published by Telex.hu (Hungary)

The alternative Balkan postal system, by Ilir Gashi, Dina Hajrullahu, Arrita Katona, published by Kosovo 2.0 (Kosovo)

Poland’s ministry of memory spins the Holocaust, by Katia Patin, published by Coda Story (Georgia)

The Innovation Award

The demographic, political and economic power of each generation of Romanians, by Edit Gyenge, published by Panorama (Romania)

Russian Asset Tracker, by Juliette Garside, Simon Goodley, Jasper Jolly, Kalyeena Makortoff, Antonio Baquero, Lara Dihmis, Alex Dziadosz, Jared Ferrie, Brian Fitzpatrick, Kevin Hall, Ilya Lozovsky, Eli Moskowit, Will Neal, Stelios Orphanides, Miranda Patrucic, Olesya Shmagun, Graham Stack, Tom Stocks, Drew Sullivan, Julia Wallace, Jonny Wrate, Jan Strozyk, Misha Gagarin, Karina Shedrofsky, Alina Tsogoeva, Ivana Jeremić, Olena LaFoy, Bojana Pavlović, Dima Stoianov, Romina Colman, Ilia Donskikh, Nathan Jaccard, James O’Brien, Edin Pašović, Mark Nightingale, by OCCRP, The Guardian, Anti-Corruption Data Collective, Bird.bg (Bulgaria), Delfi Estonia, Follow the Money (Netherlands), Forbes (USA), Frontstory.pl (Poland), infoLibre (Spain), Inside Story (Greece), Investigative Center of Jan Kuciak (Slovakia), Investigace.cz (Czech Republic), IrpiMedia (Italy), MANS (Montenegro), Miami Herald (USA), Le Monde (France), NDR (Germany), Oštro (Slovenia/Croatia), profil (Austria), Re:Baltica, Reporter.lu (Luxembourg), Siena.lt (Lithuania), SVT (Sweden), Tamedia (Switzerland), De Tijd (Belgium), Transparency International UK

Ailing Brussels, by Karim Douïeb, Catherine Joie, Quentin Noirfalisse, Antoine Sanchez, published by Médor Magazine (Belgium)

Barrio Salamanca, by Elena Sanz, Rocío Márquez, Laura Martín, Luís Rodríguez, Fernando Anido, Darío Ojeda, published by El Confidencial (Spain)

Reconstructing the Melilla Massacre, by Klaas van Dijken, Maud Jullien, Bashar Deeb, Jack Sapoch, Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Aziz Alnour, Alison Killing, María Martín, Kiko Llaneras, José Antonio, Arthur Weil-Rabaud,  José Bautista, Salaheddine Lemaizi, Javier Bernardo, Steffen Lüdke, published by Lighthouse Reports (Europe), EL PAÍS (Spain), Le Monde (France), Der Spiegel (Germany), Anass 

The Public Discourse Award

“She lost consciousness as it was happening and she’s actually grateful she did.” What we know about the rapes perpetrated in Ukraine by Russian soldiers, by Alla Konstantinova, published by Mediazona (Russia), Internazionale (Italy), Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland), gdh (Turkey)

The Experience of Powerlessness Changes Everything, by Katja Artsiomenka, published by Zeit Online, 10 nach 8 (Germany)

Defined by silence, by Kateryna Botanova, published by Eurozine

The eye of the whale, by Katarzyna Boni, published by Książki. Magazyn do Czytania (Poland)

Manana, by Roberta Nikšić, published by polis.ba (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Ajfelov Most

The Investigative Reporting Award

Death Weapons: Inside a Teenage Terrorist Network, Alexander Nabert, Christina Brause, Bryan Bender, Nick Robins-Early, published by Welt Am Sonntag (Germany), POLITICO

Ukrainian Supreme Court Judge with Russian Citizenship, by Heorhiy Shabayev, Natalie Sedletska, published by Radio Svoboda (Ukraine)

Here’s the price for your new H&M clothes, by Staffan Lindberg, published by Aftonbladet (Sweden)

The Great Green Investment Investigation, by Ties Joosten, Ties Gijzel, Yara van Heugten, Remy Koens, Tom Bolsius, Leon de Korte, Linda van der Pol, Emiel Woutersen, Daniele Grasso, Carlotta Indiano, Fabio Papetti, Mathias Hagemann-Nielsen, Frederik Vincent, René Bender, Sönke Iwersen, Martin Murphy, Lars-Marten Nagel, Ingo Narat, Michael Verfürden, Volker Votsmeier, Joseph Gepp, Lars Bové, Peter van Maldegem, Yannick Lambert, Thomas Klein, Adrien Sénécat, published by Follow the Money (Netherlands), Investico (Netherlands), De Groene Amsterdammer (Netherlands), Børsen (Denmark), De Tijd (Belgium), Handelsblatt (Germany), IRPImedia (Italy), Luxemburger Wort (Luxembourg), Luxembourg Times (Luxembourg), El País (Spain), Le Monde (France), Der Standard (Austria)

Flight of the Predator: Jet linked to Israeli spyware tycoon delivers surveillance tech from the EU to notorious Sudanese militia, by Tasos Telloglou,  Eliza Triantafillou, Crofton Black, Omer Benjakob, Avi Scharf, Gabriel Geiger, Daniel Howden, Tomas Statius, published by Inside Story (Greece), Lighthouse Reports (Europe), Haaretz (Israel), Mediapart (France)

The Migration Journalism Award

Silent Graves, by Tamara Opačić, published by Novosti Weekly (Croatia)

The long road to a home in Europe, by Maartje Bakker, César Dezfuli, published by De Volkskrant (Netherlands)

Ammar in the Polish wardrobe: A story about hiding refugees on the Polish-Belarusian border, by Joanna Łopat-Réno, Włodzimierz Nowak, Karol Grygoruk, published by OKO Press (Poland)

Borders Inc: the migration control industry, by José Bautista, Alberto Alonso, Rocío Márquez, Emma Esser, Fernando Anido, Marta Ley, Laura Martín, Ángel Villarino, Alba Solla, Juan Aguilar, Ana Rojas, Marta Nevot, Nicolás Ribas, Ana Álvarez, Ekaitz Cancela, Emilia García Morales, Joseba Torronteras, Pablo Fernández, Sara Ortega, Patricia Macías, Álvaro Bravo, published by El Confidencial and Fundación porCausa (Spain)

Sacrificed lives: on Romanian women looking after elderly people in Italy, by Elena Stancu, published by Libertatea, Teleleu.eu (Romania)

The Special Award: Ukraine Reporting

To Hell and Back, by Cathrin Kahlweit, published by Süddeutsche Zeitung Verlag (Germany)

The Last Witness, by Alexandra Rojkov, published by DER SPIEGEL (Germany)

‘Why? Why? Why?’ Ukraine’s Mariupol descends into despair, by Mstyslav Chernov, Evgeniy Maloletka, Lori Hinnant and Vasilisa Stepanenko, published by The Associated Press (US)

Mykolaiv, by Elena Kostyuchenko, published by Novaya Gazeta (Russia)

Suicide missions, abuse, physical threats: International Legion fighters speak out against leadership’s misconduct, by Anna Myroniuk, Alexander Khrebet, published by The Kyiv Independent (Ukraine)

Our collective poem campaign ‘A line for journalism’

We launched the campaign ‘A line for journalism’, an initiative designed to give the possibility to journalists, activists and freedom of speech supporters everywhere in the world to express themselves freely, creating together a collective poem on journalism.

Good journalism is like poetry. It inspires us, moves us, changes us, and ultimately, its words can set us free. This is why we launched ‘A line for Journalism’, a collective poem initiative on journalism and journalists. The title of the poem will be Running from Silence, because too many media professionals, everywhere in the world, are oppressed by censorship, or forced to flee their country to continue doing their job as they feel it should be done.

Whoever is interested in participating in the campaign, adding one line to the poem or sharing its content, can do that via this link: https://www.europeanpressprize.com/a-line-for-journalism/

The power of collective poetry

Journalism is a collective endeavour. It lives in the work of the professionals who, every day, work to tell stories that must be told; in the struggle of those who strive to give journalists adequate protection; and in the eyes and opinions of its many audiences.

Collective (or collaborative) poetry can represent well what journalism needs to be to stay relevant. Its history goes back many centuries, to when poets collaborated with their contemporaries to refine and enhance their poetic skills. Renaissance poetry in France is marked by ‘virtuoso circles’ wherein many professional writers would collaborate with their contemporaries and engage with their predecessors. In modern times, this art was perfected by the Surrealists, which started creating poems composed of entire lines written by several different poets.

Running from the silence of censorship

The title of this collective poem will be Running from Silence, because too many media professionals, everywhere in the world, are oppressed by censorship, or forced to flee their country to continue doing their job as they feel it should be done.

According to the latest UNESCO report, the numbers on censorship and attacks on journalism are constantly growing. From 2016 to the end of 2021, UNESCO recorded the killings of 455 journalists, who either died for their work or while on the job. At the same time, the imprisonment of journalists has reached record highs. New legal measures undermine, instead of bolster, press freedom. Since 2016, dozens of countries have adopted or amended laws and regulations which threaten freedom of expression and press freedom online.

Emanuele Del Rosso, Head of Communications and PR at the Prize: “Our goal is to free the word of journalists. We want to provide them with an outlet to freely express themselves. Whether they operate from war areas, under a regime, or they are in exile, they can submit anonymously and say what they really think and feel. Their word can be freed, through our collective poem.”

Participate in the initiative

This is a collective poem, for a collaborative project. The European Press Prize welcomes organisations that operate in the fields of press freedom, journalism, education, or public figures that would like to help, or contribute with a line and/or an endorsement of the project.

There is no required fee to participate, and the organisers are open to considering all the different uses that can be made of this poem, and having it shown (in its entirety or some of its parts) in different places at different times.

Contact the Head of Communications and PR Emanuele Del Rosso at [email protected] if you are interested in participating in this campaign.