The Picture of the Year International (POY) is described as “the oldest and most prestigious photojournalism program and competition in the world.” It is run by the Missouri School of Journalism, one of the oldest formal journalism schools in the world.
POY “believes it is critical for people to experience your coverage of news events and social issues facing our world.” And apparently that coverage focuses on Gaza.
While not all the awards have been decided yet, the General News category has. And out of 5 awards, Gazan photographers have won 2 – or 40% – for these propaganda photos:
This photo taken by Mohammed Asad titled “The Martyr Child”, which won an Award of Excellence.
And this photo by Mohammed Salem titled “Gaza Protests”.
What became known as the “Great March of Return” dominated the headlines for months.
The primary stated purpose of the protests was to revive a demand by refugees for the right to return to lands that Palestinians were driven from or fled when Israel was founded in 1948. Israel has ruled out any such right, concerned that the country would lose its Jewish majority.
But the immediate factor was Palestinian anger at U.S. President Donald Trump’s decisions on Dec. 6 last year to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to begin preparations to move its embassy to the city that is sacred to three of the great monotheistic faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Needless to say, there are no photos of Israelis mourning our terror victims.
I refuse to believe these photos were chosen purely on the merit of their quality. There is something else going on here.
