Reuters this week was named the winner of two World Press Photo Awards, one of the most prestigious photojournalism awards contests. Reuters Senior Photographer Carlos Barria won in the North and Central America Stories category, and Chief Visuals Producer for Greece and Cyprus Alkis Konstantinidis won in the Europe Singles category.
Barria's winning entry, 'Maria's journey' was praised by the jurors who were "impressed by the photographer's selection of images which demonstrated their commitment to accurately narrating Maria's story over time, across countries. The story stood out as a subversion of the typical displacement story coming from Central America."
Barria, currently based in San Francisco, has spent more than 20 years with Reuters covering breaking news around the world, including conflicts and social unrest in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. His photographs have been recognized by POYi, the Overseas Press Club, and the NPPA contest. He also was part of the team that won the Pulitzer for breaking news in 2019.
Of Konstantinidis's picture 'Yana and Victor' the jury said, "This is a visually simple photo that highlights the reality of daily life in Ukraine and the thin line between life and death that civilians walk every day. Taken in a sensitive moment, the image is loaded with grief and heartbreak, and boldly accomplishes the directness that the jury was looking for in a single image."
SENSITIVE MATERIAL. THIS IMAGE MAY OFFEND OR DISTURB
Konstantinidis, based in Athens, joined Reuters in 2014, where he covered the country's deep economic crisis and subsequently the mass exodus of refugees to Europe. In 2016, he was part of the Pulitzer Prize winning team for breaking news photography for coverage of Europe's refugee crisis, and in 2019, for coverage of the Mexican migrant caravan.
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Media Contact:
Heather Carpenter
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