Donald Trump may dismiss much of the media as “fake news”, but it was the power of images that arguably secured his second presidential term.

When the Republican nominee rose with a bloodied face after the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, photos like Jabin Botsford’s for the Washington Post likely
helped propel him back to the White House.

Such images are reminders of the abiding power of photojournalism in a world saturated with visual content and the photograph is one of those on show in the World Press Photo Exhibition opening in Auckland this weekend.

According to World Press Photo travelling curator Martha Echevarria, the array of images tells diverse stories ranging from conflict to migration, climate change and the political state of the world – and also the often dangerous efforts photographers undertake to achieve them.