Sharing highlights from over 600 pieces of global press coverage so far.
Since the news of this year’s cohort was announced, we’ve tracked over 600 pieces of online coverage around the world along with regional, national and international broadcast and print features.
Our 2025 Whitley Gold Award winner Dr Olivier Nsengimana kicked off this year’s coverage by broadcasting to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme‘s 5.9 million listeners and host Emma Barnett that “winning the Whitley Gold Award is huge!”
Media coverage is critical in raising visibility of Whitley Award winners’ work and unlocks opportunities at home and internationally.
As part of our international PR support for winners, WFN introduces them to journalists, distributes press releases and media packs, and arranges interviews. Our Patron HRH The Princess Royal attending the ceremony and presenting each winner with their trophy further heightens media interest. We also invite Country Ambassadors and top media contacts to the Awards ceremony to meet the winners.
Media training during the Whitley Awards week in London, delivered by our partners Boffin Media, helps the winners to further leverage this spotlight.
Further interview highlights covering Olivier and his team’s efforts to conserve East Africa’s Grey Crowned Cranes include BBC News’ Newshour – airing around the world to 66 million listeners, including 12.5 million in the US on National Public Radio (NPR); an in-studio recording with BBC News Focus on Africa; as well the local language feature in BBC Great Lakes.
Global news agency Agence France-Presse also filmed with Olivier in Rwanda before the Awards ceremony, resulting in over 100 stories around the world, including Barron’s in the US and The Australian. In Rwanda, Olivier’s press coverage included The New Times and Umuseke.
BBC News Indonesia interviewed Whitley Award winner Rahayu Oktaviani about her commitment to saving the song of the Javan gibbons and, locally, Ayu was featured in Indonesia’s largest newspaper Kompas, Tempo, and Good news from Indonesia. Off the back of her award win, Ayu was invited to meet with Indonesia’s Minister of Forestry to discuss her conservation work.
Dr Farina Othman spoke to CNN about her work to connect landscapes for Bornean elephants in Sabah, and was featured in Malaysia’s Malay Mail, Borneo Post, and Siakap Keli. The High Commission of Malaysia, London also extended their congratulations after attending the ceremony.
Three of our Whitley Award winners from Latin America were featured by BBC Mundo: Dr Andrés Link from Colombia, Dr Yara Barros from Brazil and Dr Federico Kacoliris from Argentina.
Andrés and his team’s efforts to reconnect brown spider monkeys were also celebrated in top-ranking Spanish-language media outlet, El Pais, and El Espectador.
Argentina’s largest newspaper, Clarín, as well as La Nación highlighted Federico and his team’s work in the Somuncura Plateau to protect the El Rincon stream frog and the naked characin fish. Attention gained through the Award helped Fundación Somuncura to facilitate the signing of a new cooperation agreement with Argentina’s Environmental Agency and the Department of Protected Areas of Rio Negro.
In Brazil, Yara and her team’s work to foster coexistence between jaguars and people was featured extensively, across print, radio and TV, including in top media brands, Folha and Globo. Marina Silva, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change of Brazil, celebrated Yara on Instagram and Brazilian Ambassador Antonio de Aguiar Patriota met with Yara at the Awards ceremony.
As the fourth Nepali Whitley Award winner in as many years, Reshu Bashyal’s safeguarding of medicinal plants was recognised in The Himalayan Times and Nepali Times. Reshu also recently met with Rt Hon. Baroness Hayman of Ullock, Under-Secretary of State for UK Government, in Kathmandu with the fellow Nepali Whitley Award winners.
“Where hope takes root. This year’s Whitley Award winners offer something rare: credible hope.” – Perspective
With much more in the works, we’re looking forward to sharing additional interviews and features about the 2025 Whitley Award winners over the year.
Keep an eye on our News page for recent press updates.
