Anne Hermes (Finalist)

Ann Hermes is a Brooklyn and Boston-based visual storyteller with a flair for the nostalgic. Her personal work explores the roles that often-overlooked people and institutions play in our history, culture and future. She has worked in logistically challenging situations on national and international assignments for over 15 years as a staff photographer for The Christian Science Monitor and other regional news outlets. This work ranged from breaking news coverage of the Arab Spring in Egypt to in-depth stories following Syrian refugees in Eastern Europe. Her stories have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic and The New Republic. Her work exhibited at Photoville in New York City in 2024. After years of experience in news photography, she is using her documentary expertise to create a visual exploration of the current critical era in journalism and uncover the potential harm that the loss of local newsrooms would bring to our democracy.