A man is taken into custody by police on the day the El Salvadoran Legislative Assembly approved the “state of emergency.” Since that day, more than 80,000 people have been arrested. Santa Tecla, El Salvador, 27 March 2022. © Carlos Barrera, El Faro, NPR.
We are committed to in-depth journalism covering the crucial issues of our time.
world press photo winners →
ENG: Captured South Vietnamese soldiers sit on the lawn after North Vietnamese troops seized the presidential palace in Saigon, South Vietnam, on April 30, 1975. Photo by Jacques Pavlovsky/Sygma via Getty Images
We create large-scale exhibitions that serve as valuable resources worldwide.
current exhibition →
Marilyn Malimban and Jenny Tiaga watch a video on Marilyn's phone during a hike and camping trip in Mt. Banahaw in Quezon Province on October 26, 2019. Both lost their husbands to the war on drugs and had to work away from home to support their children. © Kimberly dela Cruz for the VII Mentor Program.
We provide educational courses, mentoring, and academic programs.
programs →
Previous slide
Next slide

the vii foundation

The VII Foundation is committed to in-depth journalism covering the crucial issues of our time. In a world where beliefs and actions are increasingly out-of-sync with facts and realities, our response is to ensure the truth is documented to enable communities worldwide to make evidence-based choices about the challenges impacting their lives.

support our work →
FIND OUT MORE →
Long lines for water and flour are made by women of refugee families. © Ebrahim Alipoor / VII Mentor Program.
FIND OUT MORE →
Members of a Ukrainian tank crew from the 42nd Brigade eat lunch in a bunker on the frontline in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, December 30, 2023. © Finbarr O’Reilly / VII.
FIND OUT MORE →
© Ali Arkady / VII.

our mission

The VII Foundation is committed to in-depth journalism covering the crucial issues of our time. In a world where beliefs and actions are increasingly out-of-sync with facts and realities, our response is to ensure the truth is documented to enable communities worldwide to make evidence-based choices about the challenges impacting their lives.

The foundation does this by empowering new voices through education, especially from under-resourced regions where press freedom is limited and journalists are vulnerable. We train practitioners to cover their local communities and global problems, and we produce large-scale and long-term documentary projects that advocate change and detail solutions. We bring new and neglected perspectives to the public agenda and host conversations that campaign for a diverse, safe and viable profession, especially for freelancers worldwide. 

support our work →
upcoming event
Photograph by Carlos Herrera.
Event Image
Apr
24
2025

How Is Latin American Journalism Resisting Authoritarianism?

In the face of authoritarianism – marked by often violent attacks on democratic processes, press freedom, and journalists (along with other forms of abuse) – we will explore how Latin American journalists and photographers are resisting.
upcoming event
A man trying to board an overloaded evacuation plane is stopped by an American official at Nha Trang Air Base in South Vietnam. Nha Trang was captured by North Vietnamese forces on 2 April 1975. On 14 March 1974, South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu ordered a general withdrawal of ARVN forces from Vietnam's central highlands region. This turned into an chaotic situation with masses of military and civilians fleeing southwards. Thousands of refugees believed Nha Trang to be a safe haven, but by 1 April 1975 the general panic of retreat reached Nha Trang, which was abandoned by the South Vietnamese Army one day later, yielding the entire northern half of South Vietnam to the North Vietnamese. April 2, 1975. Photo by Thai Khac Chuong/Bettmann Archive via Getty Images.
Event Image
Apr
08
2025

April 1975 , Phnom Penh - Saigon

Opening on April 8 at the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, "April 1975, Phnom Penh – Saigon" is an exhibition that examines the lives and work of the journalists who covered the end of the wars in Cambodia and Vietnam in April 1975.
Phillip Toledano, We Are at War. IMAGE GENERATED BY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
Event Image
Mar
27
2025

Reimagining History with Artificial Intelligence: A Conversation with Phillip Toledano

In this conversation, we will talk with Philip Toledano about his work with AI, especially his project "We Are At War."

news


Children from the Teepa family drive the younger siblings home, after a swim in the river. Tūhoe children are taught independence and to care for other family members. Ruatoki, New Zealand, 27 January 2022. © Tatsiana Chypsanava, Pulitzer Center, New Zealand Geographic.
Children from the Teepa family drive the younger siblings home, after a swim in the river. Tūhoe children are taught independence and to care for other family members. Ruatoki, New Zealand, 27 January 2022. © Tatsiana Chypsanava, Pulitzer Center, New Zealand Geographic.
World Press Photo Contest 2025 →
We're thrilled to celebrate the incredible talent within our alumni and VII Community, as several members have been recognized in this year's World Press Photo Contest.
Journalists document delegates from Pennsylvania casting their votes during the roll call of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro cast the state’s Democratic delegates for Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. © Danny Wilcox Frazier / VII.
Journalists document delegates from Pennsylvania casting their votes during the roll call of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro cast the state’s Democratic delegates for Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. © Danny Wilcox Frazier / VII.
USA 3.0 →
The VII Foundation, Daily Iowan Documentary Workshop, and University of Iowa SJMC present USA 3.0, a project that culminates in a book available now for pre-order.
M23 soldiers secure soldiers of the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo board vehicles to shackle them in an M23 camp outside the city of Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, January 30, 2025. - After the capture of Goma by the AFC/M23, some Congolese soldiers surrendered to the AFC/M23, while others and the authorities were evacuated to the nearby town of Bukavu. © Guerchom Ndebo for The New York Times.
M23 soldiers secure soldiers of the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo board vehicles to shackle them in an M23 camp outside the city of Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, January 30, 2025. - After the capture of Goma by the AFC/M23, some Congolese soldiers surrendered to the AFC/M23, while others and the authorities were evacuated to the nearby town of Bukavu. © Guerchom Ndebo for The New York Times.
"They Fled a Rebel Advance. Then the Rebels Marched on Their Refuge"  →
Reporters, including The VII Foundation's alum Guerchom Ndebo, are on the ground in Goma with The New York Times.

discover our new brand


A NEW STRUCTURE →
All our work is now united under the same unifying brand — The VII Foundation — and categorized into three areas: Educate, for all training and education; Report, for all storytelling; and Campaign, for all advocacy and dialogue about a free press, media rights, AI and more.
A NEW LOGO →
Our new logo has been completely redesigned by Mechanica Design Director Wade Devers to anchor our rebrand. In the inspiring recording linked here, Wade narrates his process in reimagining our logo, which combines historical references with principles of design.

alumni network


North America Latin America & Caribbean Africa Europe Asia Oceania
educators
0
languages
0
Practitioners
0
Countries represented by students
0
Women and nonbinary students
0
Partners
0