Journalists killed in conflict to be commemorated at the National Memorial Arboretum
The National Memorial Arboretum has been raising money to fund a memorial for journalists who are killed in conflict.
The memorial will commemorate British and UK-based journalists and media workers who die while bearing witness to conflict, and it will be accompanied by an online public record chronicling their lives and work.
Wolfgang Buttress was announced as the artist who will create the memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) in Staffordshire, with a companion piece at St Bride's Church in Fleet Street in London, at an event hosted by Bloomberg.
Mr Buttress's proposal, End of Copy, Words of Light, was chosen through a Royal Society of Sculptors' national design competition, which attracted 104 entries.
The announcement comes after the Committee to Protect Journalists found that more journalists and media workers were killed last year than in any other year since the charity began collecting data over three decades ago.
Presence rather than proclamation
Speaking after the announcement, Mr Buttress said: "This memorial is about presence rather than proclamation.
"Journalism at its best is an act of service, often quiet, frequently risky and, in the most tragic cases, fatal.
"My ambition was to create a work that acknowledges loss while leaving space for reflection, humility and care. It is a memorial shaped as much by what is felt as what is seen."
Mr Buttress, whose other works include The Hive at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew and Iridescence in King's Cross in London, is recognised for artworks that explore the relationship between people, place and nature, often at moments of collective reflection.
The judging panel, which included Maria Balshaw, the outgoing Tate director, public sculpture expert Mark Richards and On The Record founder Andrew Baud, praised the winning design for its emotional intelligence, restraint and enduring relevance.
On The Record
On The Record was founded two years ago to address the lack of a permanent UK memorial to journalists killed in the line of duty, despite the country's long tradition of war reporting and press freedom.
Since its launch, it has brought together families, journalists and media organisations.
Sarah Sands, On The Record's chair of trustees and the former editor of The Sunday Telegraph, said the memorial will mean that journalists' names and work "will not be lost to the news cycle".
"It is a lasting statement that the truth matters, and we will remember the courage and sacrifice of those who died for it," she said.
Story moves on, but grief doesn't
For families who have lost loved ones, the memorial is intended to offer recognition and solace.
In 2025, the total number of journalists and media workers killed was a record 129, which was the second consecutive year-on-year record for press deaths.
"When a journalist is killed, the story often moves on quickly, but grief doesn’t. On The Record matters because it says publicly and unequivocally that these lives, and this work, will not be forgotten," said Karola Zakrzewska, whose brother Pierre was killed while reporting for Fox News in Ukraine.
"Knowing that my brother will be remembered alongside others who believed in telling the truth means more than I can easily put into words."
The project is supported by a steering group of senior journalists and media figures, with the online record being created in partnership with Press Gazette.
The memorial is expected to be installed at the NMA once fundraising and permissions are complete, while the online resource will be created and then continue to grow as families contribute stories, images and testimony.
The NMA will become the Royal British Legion National Remembrance Gardens in September 2026, following its integration with the RBL, its parent charity since 2003.
On The Record are looking to raise £1m for the memorial.
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