RSF to host two panels on the role images play in climate and war reporting at the 2026 Rencontres d'Arles photography festival

As part of the opening week of the 2026 Rencontres d'Arles, which will take place from 6 to 12 July in the French city of Arles, RSF will host two panel discussions on 9 July exploring the role of visual journalism in the face of two major crises: Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and climate change.

LONG-TERM WAR REPORTING: HOW SHOULD JOURNALISTS COVER RUSSIA'S INVASION OF UKRAINE?

The challenges facing journalists documenting a protracted war

A panel discussion hosted by RSF

Thursday, 9 July, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Printemps, 2 avenue Lafayette, Arles

More than four years after it began, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues to upend the lives of millions of people. Yet, as the war drags on, there is a growing risk that international attention will fade and the world's gaze will shift elsewhere. How can journalists keep covering its human toll without allowing it to become normalised? How can they continue to tell the story of the war while finding new ways to portray the reality on the ground?

Bringing together RSF President Pierre Haski, RSF Ukraine Officer Pauline Maufrais, Le Monde photojournalist Adrien Vautier, and Aïda Belloulid, the partner of the late French photojournalist Antoni Lallican, who was killed by the Russian army in Ukraine in 2025, this panel will explore the challenges of reporting from a war zone. From access to frontlines and the threats posed by new military technologies to gathering first-hand accounts from civilians, to the attacks directly targeting journalists, the discussion will examine the realities that shape news reporting in one of the most extensively documented conflicts of our time.

Drawing on their experience and commitment, the speakers will reflect on the vital role of photography and journalism in documenting history as it unfolds: informing the public despite the risks, and sustaining public attention on a war that continues to unfold before our eyes in Europe.

THE WORLD BEFORE OUR EYES: COVERING THE CLIMATE CRISIS

Photographers, journalists and activists face the defining crisis of our era. In partnership with MYOP.

Thursday, 9 juillet from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Douches municipales, 2 Léon Blum, Arles

Every day, thousands of images flash before our eyes. Some vanish almost instantly. Others become evidence, testimonies, or symbols. In a world marked by armed conflict, the climate crisis and disinformation, what role does photography still play in shaping our understanding of reality?

Environmental activist Camille Étienne, Tendance Floue photographer Alice Pallot, MYOP photojournalist Adrienne Surprenant and RSF Editorial Director Anne Bocandé will explore the power of images today from the perspectives of fieldwork, journalism and civic engagement. How can we make current crises visible without resorting to sensationalism? How can trust in information be preserved in an age of manipulation and artificial intelligence? And above all, what can a single image still achieve in the face of the world's mounting crises?

Photographers, journalists and activists will bring together their experiences and perspectives to explore a fundamental question: how can we produce narratives that inform, resonate and mobilise audiences without oversimplifying the realities they depict?