What began as a frustrating wait in line became a global scoop, thanks to fast thinking and seamless teamwork.
While vacationing in Paris, AP journalist Laurie Kellman found herself stuck for hours outside the Louvre, where workers had launched a surprise strike at the world’s most visited museum. She quickly tipped off the Paris bureau.
Photographer Christophe Ena rushed to the scene and captured striking images of crowds snaking through the museum’s courtyard and past the iconic glass pyramid. With Paris videojournalists away on assignment, Kellman shot video on her phone, guided remotely by Masha Macpherson, who edited and filed the footage quickly amid a busy news cycle.
Meanwhile, Thomas Adamson got confirmation of the strike from Louvre union representatives, who cited overwork and overtourism. He jumped on his bike, interviewed disgruntled visitors—one of whom quipped, “It’s the Mona Lisa moan out here”—and expanded the piece into a broader report on rising tensions over overtourism.
Drawing on his deep knowledge of France’s museum system, Adamson linked the walkout to a weekend of anti-tourism protests across Europe. His story captured how the Louvre had become a symbol of cultural strain, frustration over overcrowding, and concerns about sustainability in Europe’s most popular destinations.
Judges praised the exceptional teamwork, from a vacationing journalist who passed off the tip to a fast-moving local team that turned the moment into a definitive global story. AP beat the competition, including state-run AFP on the text side, while French broadcasters relied on AP’s video.
For scooping even the French media on their home turf, and for turning a spontaneous event into standout journalism, Thomas Adamson, Laurie Kellman, Christophe Ena and Masha Macpherson are this week’s Best of AP — Second Winner.
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