After winning the World Press Photo (WPP) prize, Mikhail Tereshchenko, a staff photographer for the Russian state-controlled media outlet TASS, has been barred from attending the organization’s award ceremony. This decision came after Georgian journalists accused WPP of promoting Russian propaganda through Tereshchenko’s work.
Tereshchenko secured the prestigious regional award for his series of photographs capturing the anti-government protests in Tbilisi, Georgia. The demonstrations, which took place last year, were a response to the pro-Russia ruling party’s hindrance of Georgia’s attempts to join the European Union and its controversial election results.
Despite being invited to the award ceremony held during the opening of the global touring exhibition featuring the winners’ work, Tereshchenko’s exclusion was announced by WPP due to the criticism from Georgian journalists. They raised concerns about TASS’s lack of editorial independence and its contradictory stance to the anti-authoritarian movement depicted in the photographs.
While Tereshchenko’s award was not revoked, he will not be present at the April 18 event. However, his work will still be part of the exhibition touring Europe, North America, and South America over the next year.
Georgian journalist Aleksandre Keshelashvili, who experienced brutal treatment from riot police during a protest, condemned WPP’s decision to honor Tereshchenko. He emphasized that the protesters in the award-winning photos were fighting against the same forces supported by TASS, thus undermining independent media and amplifying propaganda.
In response to the controversy, WPP stated on April 1 that the judging of the photos was done anonymously, with the jury unaware of the photographers’ identities or their affiliated media outlets. The organization also acknowledged the need to enhance its rules for entries from state-controlled agencies and provide support to photographers working in oppressive regimes.
The jury praised Tereshchenko’s series as capturing an essential global narrative, highlighting the protesters’ use of fireworks as a new urban defense tactic against police during the demonstrations.
TASS Director Andrey Kondrashov criticized the rescinded invitation as reflective of broader European “Russiaphobia.” Additionally, WPP issued an apology for categorizing certain images in the competition incorrectly, including a photo of a Ukrainian soldier serving in Russian forces and a picture of a young Ukrainian girl experiencing panic attacks.
Amidst the protests documented by Tereshchenko, reports from the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders revealed incidents of widespread police brutality against journalists in Georgia.
World Press Photo, a renowned Netherlands nonprofit organization, has a history of recognizing impactful images of conflict and human suffering. From iconic photographs like Nick Ut’s portrayal of a young girl during a napalm attack to Mohammad Salem’s poignant image of a Palestinian woman mourning her niece’s death, WPP has been instrumental in showcasing powerful visual storytelling.
