WITNESS Named Peabody Global Impact Winner
WITNESS is deeply honored to receive Peabody’s inaugural Global Impact Award, recognizing “media or organizations that have profoundly changed the world for the better.” In receiving this award, WITNESS joins a long list of esteemed institutions awarded by Peabody for their enduring impact on media, public narratives, and the power of storytelling.
For over 80 years, Peabody has recognized storytelling excellence around the most pressing social issues of our times. For over 30 years, WITNESS has empowered people to harness the power of video and technology to tell their own stories, document human rights violations, and push for change.
We are humbled to be a part of this tremendous legacy – recognizing this has been a year of extraordinary courage by journalists and frontline witnesses who have documented injustice, amplified resistance, and held a mirror to power around the world. Throughout our work, WITNESS has partnered with nearly 600 human rights groups, trained over 10,000 activists in 130+ countries, and reached millions with our digital resources on video-based strategies for justice.
“We share this recognition with our partners and the frontline journalists and communities who have, at great risk to themselves and with inspiring ingenuity, used video and technology to defend human rights the world over.” – Sam Gregory, Executive Director
From putting the power of video in people’s hands by distributing cameras three decades ago, to being at the forefront of defending the trust-basis of video in the age of deepfakes and AI, WITNESS ensures that technology works for, not against, human rights and democracy.
Today, WITNESS fights to fortify the truth and defend the integrity and impact of critical video and storytelling . In the midst of a mega global election year affecting more than 40% of the world’s population, this award is particularly timely and spotlights the importance of centering underrepresented voices, preserving truth, and combating the threats of deceptive AI and mis- and disinformation.
We are thrilled to join the 84th Peabody awards ceremony in Los Angeles on June 9th along with an inspiring class of nominees being recognized for telling stories that matter. You may read the full Peabody Awards announcement here.