Haitian and Belgian journalists win Franceinfo’s 2025 Golden Visa for Haiti reporting

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haitian journalists Milo Milfort and Johnson Sabin, alongside Belgian colleague Gaël Turine, have received the 2025 Franceinfo Golden Visa for Digital Journalism. Their interactive report, “In Haiti, at the Heart of Hell,” was published last year by La Libre Belgique newspaper.

The award was announced Sept. 4 during the “Visa pour l’Image” festival in Perpignan, France, a prestigious stage that has long showcased conflict and humanitarian reporting from across the globe.

The reporting project combines photographs, testimony and multimedia storytelling to capture life inside gang-controlled neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince, where residents endure daily violence but also display resilience and dignity.

“This award represents recognition for useful, high-quality work carried out under difficult conditions,” Milfort said in an interview with The Haitian Times after winning the award. “Gangs entirely control some of the areas we visited and cannot be entered without their authorization.”

Journalism under fire in Haiti

In Haiti, documenting these stories is often a matter of survival. At least 21 journalists were killed between 2000 and 2022, according to an Associated Press (AP) report, including nine in 2022 alone—the deadliest year in modern Haitian media history. In a country where silence often becomes a form of survival, journalists who persist in reporting risk threats, extortion or worse.

“This award has special meaning because it was earned collectively, with Haitian journalists,” said Turine, who has worked in Haiti since 2005. “It proves that despite the conditions, meaningful, high-level work can emerge.”

Sabin also noted how personally affected he was by stories of displaced families. “Their strength and dignity, despite fear and loss, left a profound mark on me,” he said.

“This award represents recognition for useful, high-quality work carried out under difficult conditions.”

Milo Milfort, Co-winner of Franceinfo’s 2025 Golden Visa

The Golden Visa award, which carries a prize of 8,000 euros or about $9,400 (USD), is one of the most respected honors in conflict journalism reporting, using photographic skills. Previous winners include documenting Syria, Yemen, and other crisis zones.

For Milfort and Sabin, the award also demonstrates that Haitian journalism, often overshadowed by violence and political instability, has the power to shape international understanding.

“This development shows the world that Haitian journalists can produce content at the highest international standards, even under dire threats,” Milfort said.

The trio’s reporting underscores the vital role of journalism in crises: to humanize statistics, expose abuses, and give voice to those living in fear. Their immersive project presents Haiti not only through its violence but also through the perseverance of its people — a balance rarely achieved in international coverage.

Profiles of the awardees

Milfort, based in Port-au-Prince, has spent more than a decade reporting on Haiti’s most pressing issues — from gang violence and kidnappings to governance failures and economic struggles. A former reporter for AyiboPost and founder of the investigative outlet Enquet’Action, Milfort is recognized for combining investigative rigor with compelling photography.

He has been a contributor for international outlets such as the Spanish news agency EFE and Dominican Noticias SIN. He is known among peers for his persistence in covering stories in some of Haiti’s most dangerous neighborhoods. His work has earned several regional awards, underscoring his role as one of the country’s leading investigative journalists.

“This award has special meaning because it was earned collectively, with Haitian journalists. It proves that despite the conditions, meaningful, high-level work can emerge.”

Gaël Turine, Co-winner of Franceinfo’s 2025 Golden Visa

Sabin, for his part, brings a unique visual eye to Haiti’s contemporary challenges. A photographic journalist who has worked between Haiti and France, Sabin documents political realities and social transformations with sensitivity and depth. 

The Haitian journalist’s work has been exhibited both locally and internationally, and he is currently preparing his second book while developing new projects on migration and resilience. His photography — often focused on portraits and community life — offers not only documentation of Haiti’s crises but also insight into its cultural vibrancy and people’s determination to sustain hope.

As for Belgian documentary photographer-journalist Gaël Turine, his experience in Haiti has spanned nearly two decades. This time, he collaborated with the two Haitian professionals, adding a global dimension to the team’s work. 

“Their [Haitians] strength and dignity, despite fear and loss, left a profound mark on me.”

Johnson Sabin, Co-winner of Franceinfo’s 2025 Golden Visa

Based between Brussels and Paris, Turine is published in several renowned outlets, including The New York Times, Stern, and Le Figaro Magazine, while also producing long-term projects that led to books and exhibitions. His collaborations with Haitian journalists and photographers, including training programs with the Haiti-based Fokal Foundation, have supported the growth of local visual journalism. 

Turine contributed his international perspective, working closely with Milfort and Sabin to craft a digital narrative that links Haiti’s realities to global audiences and ensures the country’s stories are seen beyond the immediate news cycle.

“Our collective approach blends text, photography and digital storytelling to not only capture Haiti’s challenges, but also to affirm the essential role of press freedom in a country where silence has too often been a survival strategy,” Milfort said. 

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