Press Freedom Lecture 2025

• Date: 14 April
• label.tijd 17:00 - 19:30
• Location: Theater aan Spui

This event is in English.

As part of Press Freedom Day, or World Press Freedom Day, the NVJ, NDP, Persvrijheidsfonds and Beeld & Geluid are organizing the Press Freedom Lecture at Theater aan het Spui (HNT) in The Hague on April 14. This edition Ann Telnaes, former cartoonist at the Washington Post, will be interviewed by journalist Marieke de Vries on this year's theme: Cartoonists under Fire.

Press Freedom Day, or World Press Freedom Day (on May 3) commemorates, asks for solidarity and urges continued debate on press freedom. As part of this effort, the Press Freedom Lecture is being organized on Monday, April 14.

The keynote speaker this day will be Ann Telnaes, creator of editorial cartoons, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and Herblock Prize, among others. She worked for The Washington Post for more than 16 years and recently resigned there after a cartoon she submitted was rejected because it criticized Jeff Bezos, the newspaper's owner, among others. Read the article: Washington Post cartoonist quits after rejecting cartoon about Bezos.

Cartoonists under fire

Ann will be in conversation with former NOS America correspondent Marieke de Vries during the lecture. They will discuss the important role of cartoonists and the survival and threats of the profession. They will also translate to press freedom and political satire in the Netherlands and Europe. Read more about Ann Telnaes and view her work.

World Press Freedom Day

The Press Freedom Lecture is an initiative of the Press Freedom Day Committee. Since 1993, International Press Freedom Day has been held on May 3. In that year, the United Nations and UNESCO established the annual World Press Freedom Day. This day commemorates murdered journalists worldwide and calls for solidarity for colleagues who are imprisoned or unable to perform their work freely. The day also aims to continue the debate on press freedom.

Press Freedom Exposed

As part of The Hague Freedom Weeks, Beeld & Geluid presents a series of 3 podcasts in cooperation with the Dutch Association of Journalists, Press Freedom Fund, NDP Nieuwsmedia, Justice & Peace Netherlands. The podcast series is presented by Merel Wielaert, read more and listen to the podcasts.

This event is organized in cooperation with NVJ, NDP, Persvrijheidsfonds and Beeld & Geluid.

Program

17:00 - 17:30 Walk-in

17:30 - 17:45 Opening & Speech Ann Telnaes

17:45 - 18:15 Interview by Marieke de Vries

18:15 - 18:30 Q&A

18:30 - 19:30 Drinks

Ann Telnaes

Ann Telnaes creates editorial cartoons in a variety of media: animation, visual essays, live sketches and traditional print work. She won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for her print cartoons and Reuben of the National Cartoonists Society for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year for 2016. In 2021, she received the international EWK Award, named for legendary Swedish cartoonist Ewert Karlsson. Telnaes was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her illustrated reporting and cartoons in 2022 and received the Herblock Prize for editorial cartoons in 2023.

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