A national design competition has been launched with the goal of creating the UK’s first permanent memorial dedicated to British and UK-based journalists who have lost their lives while reporting from conflict zones.
Through the creation of a world-class work of art, the initiative, titled On The Record, seeks to honour the courage and sacrifice of journalists and media workers who died in pursuit of the truth.
The memorial sculpture will be located at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. A complementary sculpture will also be installed at St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street.
The competition is being run in partnership with the Royal Society of Sculptors, with submissions open until 9 January 2026. Shortlisted artists will be invited to present small-scale models and costings in March, with installation planned for spring 2027.
According to Press Gazette research at least 16 UK journalists have been killed in the course of their work since 2000, with more than 100 killed since 1945.
The celebrated Sunday Times foreign correspondent Marie Colvin (pictured) was killed alongside French photographer Remi Ochlik as they reported on the plight of civilians in the besieged Syrian city of Homs in 2012.
Chair of trustees Sarah Sands, former editor of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme and the Evening Standard, said: “Journalists bear witness to the worst of humanity so that the world cannot turn a blind eye to it.
“The memorial will be a place to reflect on their courageous dedication to the truth and to remind future generations of the preciousness and the cost of free speech. We are proud to launch this competition and invite artists to imaginatively express these journalists’ stories.”
The memorial will be complemented by a digital tribute hosted by Press Gazette, featuring an online database of those commemorated, alongside archive footage, interviews with family members and educational resources.
Among those supporting the campaign is Karola Zakrzewska, whose brother Pierre Zakrzewski was killed while reporting for the UK-based division of Fox News while in Ukraine in 2022.
She said: “Pierre believed deeply in the power of journalism to shine a light in dark places. He risked everything to tell the stories that mattered. This memorial means his sacrifice – and that of so many others – will not be forgotten. It’s a way of putting their stories ‘on the record’ for generations to come.”
The trustees have confirmed initial funding pledges of £300,000 out of a total campaign target of £1m.
Artists shortlisted for the second phase of the competition will receive a small honorarium to support their work.
The launch coincided with the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists on Sunday 2 November.
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