After Pope Francis’ passing, the AP dominated coverage of his funeral

By Pope funeral team

The AP Italy team’s deep experience, dedication, and access — combined with essential support from colleagues across Rome and beyond — put AP ahead in coverage of Pope Francis’ funeral, where the AP dominated across formats.

The coverage of the pontiff’s death and funeral became a model of cross-team collaboration and a digital-first strategy, requiring close coordination across departments, regions, and time zones. From Rome-based correspondents and visual journalists on the ground to editors, producers, and digital staff supporting operations remotely, this was a full-network effort.

In the lead-up and on the day of the funeral, AP leaned into digital-friendly storytelling. The video team produced a series of on-camera explainers, many anchored by Italy producer Trisha Thomas. Photographers coordinated by Domenico Stinellis filed more than 15 photo galleries and collections with help from photo editors around the world, notably Anne-Marie Belgrave, Alyssa Goodman, and Beatrice Larco. Silvia Stellaci and Rebecca Preciutti’s video featuring a nun visiting Francis’ body was a customer favorite, while Paolo Santalucia’s high-speed bicycle ride through Roman traffic along the funeral procession route offered a unique perspective.

Text coverage included detailed sidebars, daily explainers, a glossary of key terms, and a widely read first-person essay from Nicole Winfield, who has covered the pope for 12 years and was once dubbed “first in class” by Francis himself. Brian Friedman edited the piece and handled much of the preparation for pope coverage. Joana Mateus voiced the piece and contributed significantly to video obituary prep.

The digital team, led in engagement by Pavan Mahal, played a crucial role — curating the homepage, optimizing content for search, managing a widely read live blog, and publishing Instagram posts that earned tens of thousands of likes.

The coverage achieved key editorial wins. AP had the only overhead live shot of the Saint Mary Major Basilica where Francis was laid to rest. Photographer Emilio Morenatti captured the first close-up photo of Francis as his body was carried from the Santa Marta residence. Florent Bajrami was the only videojournalist positioned at the gates of St. Peter’s Basilica to capture the casket’s emergence for the funeral procession — an exceptional achievement among more than 2,700 accredited journalists.

AP’s output production team, led by Alison Wiseman, edited more than 70 video packages in quick succession, cutting from live and capturing all the key moments.

The work was used widely by clients and drew a steady stream of readership to AP’s platforms. The volume of messages from grateful customers and multiple interviews with Nicole Winfield by BBC further highlighted AP’s leadership.

Judges noted that the success of this coverage was rooted in the long-standing expertise of seasoned Italy bureau leaders Winfield, Maria Grazia Murru, and Domenico Stinellis, who delivered with excellence at a pivotal moment.

For the comprehensive, expertly coordinated, and visually rich coverage of Pope Francis’ funeral, the AP team is awarded this week’s Best of AP — Second Winner.

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