Reem Makhoul Wins 2026 WERT Global Prize

Business Insider Senior Video Producer Reem Makhoul has won the 2026 WERT Global Prize, a Columbia Journalism School honor recognizing excellence in business journalism by a woman whose work advances understanding of global business.

Reem received the award at the Knight-Bagehot dinner on Thursday. She is an Emmy Award-winning video journalist whose documentaries and visual investigations use innovative reporting and open-source intelligence techniques to illuminate consequential global stories. In addition to a News & Documentary Emmy, her reporting on Gaza has earned a duPont-Columbia Award and a SABEW Best in Business Award, as well as a New York Press Club Award, an Online Journalism Award, and a Headliner Award. Her work also has been a finalist for two Loeb Awards and an ASME award.

"Reem's signature is the human touch. We are not just invited to understand how an economy can function in these conditions; we are also brought into the lives of the people deeply affected by war, hunger, and the daily struggle for food," wrote Deputy Executive Producer Robert Leslie in the nominating letter.

Established in 2018, the WERT Global Prize is supported by the Women's Economic Round Table, the Muriel F. Siebert Foundation, and McKinsey & Co.

"Reem's work combines deep reporting, visual innovation, high standards, and a commitment to telling stories that matter," Business Insider Editor in Chief Jamie Heller said in a note to staff. "We are immensely proud to see her journalism recognized with this important honor."

Congratulations to Reem on this well-deserved recognition!