The winners of the True Story Award in the “Research” category are Hoda Osman and Emma Graham Harrison for their articleThe Gaza Family Torn apart by IDF Snipers from Chicago and Munichpublished by Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism and The Guardian. In its laudatory statement, the jury said: “There are stories in this world that are not only difficult to report, but also dangerous. This prize goes to such a story, one that reveals in forensic, chilling detail, how a group of men decides who lives and dies in the ruins of Palestine. The Gaza Snipers is a moving, rigorous and meticulously crafted example of journalistic teamwork. This piece embodies some of the highest ideals of journalism — to document injustice, and to give voice to those whose suffering is too often erased. Congratulations to Hoda Osman and Emma Graham Harrison.”
The winner of the True Story Award in the “Impact” category is Sameh al-Laboudi for The Kalamata Trap: Hundreds of Migrant drown on their way to Europe, published in Al-Manassa. The Jury’s statement: “15 minutes. That is all the time it took for a boat full of 750 migrants to sink in the Mediterranean in June 2023, the worst maritime disaster in recent Greek history. But its consequences did not end there, when 9 Egyptian survivors were jailed, accused falsely of criminal responsibility in the catastrophe. When justice was finally delivered, a year later, it took a courtroom only 15 minutes to acquit them. By shining a light on a human tragedy that has become all too commonplace in today’s world, The Kalamata Trap is an example of investigative journalism at its finest.”
The winner of the True Story Award in the “Storytelling” category is Martín Caparrós for his report ALS: The Sentence, which was published in El País. From the jury’s citation: As journalists we often advocate keeping a distance between author and subject but there are times when narrowing the distance offers new insights. When the subject is the author’s own incurable illness, one approach might be to appeal to the reader’s emotions. The winner in the Storytelling category avoids this. Without self pity, his narrative illuminates the world of the fatal disease, ALS, and everyone impacted by it — the patients, families, and their caregivers — and deepens our understanding of this complex and mysterious illness. ”
All three winners receive the sum of US$ 20 000 each. The winners beat out 33 other nominees present in Bern. In total, 959 entries were submitted from 103 countries in 22 languages. All nominees will present their work to the public at 44 events in the heart of Bern on Saturday and Sunday at the True Story Festival.
The True Story Award is the first globally-oriented journalism award, aiming to set an example and motivate journalists all over the world. Furthermore, its aim is to make reporters' voices known beyond the borders of their home countries, and in doing so, to increase the diversity of perspectives offered in the media.
The True Story Award is conferred by an independent foundation and honors the work of reporters who have distinguished themselves by the depth of their research, the quality of their journalism and its social relevance.
See below for the full list of winners and finalists.
True Story Award – Impact
Sameh al-Laboudi
The Kalamata Trap: Hundreds Of Migrant Drown on Their way to Europe
Original Language: English
Country: Egypt
First Published: Al-Manassa, Egypt, 2024-12-12
Finalists:
Jenna Le Bras: Tracing the origins of a new sign language
Ana Cristina Pereira: When a domestic abuser is a police oficer
Ana Carbajosa, Patricia R. Blanco and Beatriz Lecumberri: Where do the clothes go, after we put them in a recycling bin?
True Story Award – Research
Hoda Osman and Emma Graham-Harrison
The Gaza Family torn apart by IDF Snipers from Chicago and Munich
Original Language: Arabic
Country: Jordan
First Published: Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ), Jordan, 2025-09-09
Finalists:
Natalia Viana, María Teresa Ronderos, Jose Luis Peñarredonda et al.: Big Tech’s Invisible Hand Ann-Dorit Boy, Max Heber, Christo Buschek, Dajana Kollig, Fedir Petrov, Frederik Obermaier and Bastian Obermayer: The Victoriia Project
Nyrola Elimä and Ben Mauk: The Long Road from Xinjiang
True Story Award – Storytelling
Martín Caparrós
ALS, The Sentence
Original Language: Spanish
Country: Spain
First Published: El País, Spain, 2025-02-09
Finalists:
Tony Bartelme: 41 seconds
Nesrine Malik: I couldn’t cry over my children like everyone else
Łukasz Pilip: Izabela Dłużyk: The Bird Lady
