Fellows in the class of 2025 at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism have chosen +972 Magazine, an independent, nonprofit news organization run by a binational team of Palestinian and Israeli journalists, for this year’s Louis M. Lyons Award for Conscience and Integrity in Journalism.
In making their selection, the Nieman Fellows recognized +972 Magazine — whose mission is to provide in-depth reporting “from the ground in Israel-Palestine” — for work that illuminates the complexity of life and politics in the region.
This year’s class of 24 Nieman Fellows from around the world independently nominated and selected +972 Magazine, citing its “vital, human-centered reporting on the war in Gaza and the courage of +972’s journalists on the ground.” The name of the newsroom is derived from the telephone code shared by Israelis and Palestinians.
Journalists selected as fellows by the Nieman Foundation spend an academic year pursuing individual study plans to strengthen their knowledge and leadership skills and to advance the field of journalism.
Announcing the Lyons award, the fellows said: “With its unflinching commitment to facts in a highly contentious, often dangerous landscape, +972 Magazine has worked relentlessly with great moral conscience and deep integrity to document the human cost of war and occupation.
“+972’s investigative work has documented how military actions, including the use of artificial intelligence and drones, have resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians, as well as the targeting of working journalists in Gaza. At a time when dialogue has all but collapsed, +972 Magazine’s binational team proves that journalism can build bridges and narrow divides by showcasing perspectives that are overlooked or marginalized by mainstream narratives.”
One investigation revealed how a loosening of constraints on expected civilian casualties by Israel’s army and the use of artificial intelligence for attacking non-military targets in a mass bombing campaign made the war in Gaza especially deadly.
In collaboration with a consortium of journalists led by Forbidden Stories, +972 has investigated the targeting of working journalists in Gaza and the West Bank – an ongoing project calling into question the Israeli military’s denials that it has targeted journalists, including through the use of drone strikes.
By publishing in English, the Nieman Fellows noted, +972 demonstrates its commitment to reach a worldwide audience, which then learns about events in this region through the lenses of experienced, local journalists.
+972 Magazine is an independent online publication that does not represent any outside organization or political party. The news organization states that it is committed to equity, justice and freedom of information.
The Nieman class of 1964 established the Louis M. Lyons Award in honor of the Nieman Foundation curator who retired that year after leading the institution for a quarter of a century. Lyons was a forceful advocate for freedom of the press. The award honors displays of conscience and integrity by individuals, groups or institutions in communications.
The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard educates leaders in journalism, promotes innovation and elevates the standards of the profession. More than 1,700 journalists from 100 countries have been awarded Nieman Fellowships since 1938. The foundation also publishes Nieman Reports, a website and print magazine covering thought leadership in journalism; Nieman Journalism Lab, a website reporting on the future of news, innovation and best practices in the digital media age; and Nieman Storyboard, a website showcasing exceptional narrative journalism and nonfiction storytelling.
