Photo Illustration by AI
African journalists are among the finalists for the Save the Children Global Media Awards 2025, a global recognition celebrating excellence in child rights journalism.
The awards, now in their second year, honour exceptional reporting that exposes injustices, amplifies children’s voices, and sparks conversations that lead to change.
The Global Media Awards were first launched in 2024, marking 100 years since the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, penned by Save the Children’s founder, Eglantyne Jebb, was adopted by the League of Nations.
A century later, the awards continue that legacy by recognising journalists whose work shapes the world’s understanding of children’s rights and wellbeing.
This year’s finalists represent a wide array of media from digital newsrooms and global broadcasters to local radio and photojournalists whose work has illuminated the realities of children living amid conflict, poverty, climate crises, and social exclusion.
Entries were submitted across four categories: Written News, Broadcast, Radio/Podcast, and Photography.
An independent judging panel composed of seasoned journalists and editors is reviewing the entries. Winners will be announced during a virtual ceremony on World Children’s Day, 20 November 2025.
“The vital work of these journalists around the world reporting on child rights issues holds perpetrators accountable, and makes a profound impact for the children featured in their reporting,” said Jen Corlew, Director of Global Communications at Save the Children.
“By honouring these exceptional journalists, we aim to highlight the power journalism can have in driving positive change for children everywhere.”
Spotlight on African Finalists
Africa is strongly represented among this year’s finalists, with stories that bring to light the struggles and resilience of children in communities often overlooked by mainstream media.
In the Broadcast category, Kenya’s Africa Uncensored was nominated for “The Vanishing Kids of Mukuru”, an investigative feature that traces the troubling disappearance of children in Nairobi’s Mukuru informal settlement.
The story not only exposes systemic failures in child protection but also gives voice to families and community leaders fighting to keep children safe in one of Kenya’s largest urban slums.
Nigeria’s News Central TV also made the shortlist for “Education Struggles in Makoko”, a compelling report on children pursuing education within Lagos’s floating slum.
The documentary follows young learners who, despite living in precarious conditions, cling to hope through makeshift schools and resilient teachers working against the odds.
Nigeria features again in the Radio/Podcast category, with SKY FM and Splash 105.5FM among the finalists.
SKY FM’s “False Start: After the Fire: Learning Under Trees in Dormaa Akwamu” highlights children’s determination to continue learning after their school was destroyed by fire, while Splash 105.5FM’s “Period Poverty, Silence, and School Bells: The Hidden Struggle of Oyo’s Girls” explores the challenges girls face in accessing menstrual hygiene and education.
These stories represent a growing wave of African journalists using investigative and solutions-based storytelling to confront issues of exclusion, gender inequality, and child protection.
Their inclusion among the finalists underscores the continent’s vital role in global conversations about child rights and human development.
Global Scope and Shared Commitment
Beyond Africa, the Global Media Awards spotlight compelling journalism from around the world. Finalists include BBC News Mundo’s reporting on adoption, Daraj Media’s coverage of pregnancy loss amid conflict in Gaza, and TRT World’s story on floating schools in Bangladesh that turn climate resilience into opportunity.
Photojournalists from Agence France-Presse, EPA, and Armenian Weekly were also recognized for powerful visual storytelling capturing the impact of war and displacement on childhood.
Together, the shortlisted works exemplify the enduring role of journalism in advancing accountability and awareness.
They reflect diverse approaches, investigative, human interest, and documentary, that converge around one principle: that every child deserves safety, dignity, and a chance to thrive.
As the world prepares to celebrate World Children’s Day, Save the Children’s Global Media Awards 2025 stand as both recognition and reminder, a celebration of the journalists who give visibility to children’s struggles and resilience, and a call to action to protect their rights everywhere.
About Save the Children
Save the Children is the world’s leading independent organization for children, working in over 100 countries to ensure every child has the right to survival, protection, education, and participation.
Founded in 1919 by Eglantyne Jebb, the organization pioneered the first Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1924, which laid the foundation for today’s UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Through humanitarian response, advocacy, and development programs, Save the Children reaches millions of children each year with health care, education, protection, and emergency support.
