The year's best photojournalism
In the most striking images of 2016, a protester stands her ground, an unlucky fish finds itself in a precarious situation, and more
By
Jackie Friedman, Lauren Hansen
Published

A peaceful demonstrator protesting the shooting death of Alton Sterling is detained in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
(Image credit: (REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman))

Usain Bolt of Jamaica smiles at his competitors during the men's 100 meter semifinal at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
(Image credit: (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images))

A fish trapped in a jellyfish struggles to break free in Byron Bay, Australia.
(Image credit: (Courtesy Tim Samuel, Tim Samuel photography))

Air Force One, carrying President Obama and his family, descends into Havana.
(Image credit: (REUTERS/Alberto Reyes))

Mevlut Mert Altintas gestures to the sky after shooting the Russian Ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, at a photo gallery in Ankara, Turkey.
(Image credit: (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici))

A polar bear at the Grandview mall in Guangzhou, China.
(Image credit: (REUTERS))

Children ride in the trunk of a car on a flooded street in Sanaa, Yemen.
(Image credit: (REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah))

Wrestlers fight during an amateur match inside a makeshift ring as part of the celebrations for the annual Hindu festival Diwali in Kolkata, India.
(Image credit: (REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri))

After escaping from nearby Yagiyama Zoological Park, amale chimpanzee named Chacha screams as a man tries to capture him on the power lines at a residential area in Sendai, Japan.
(Image credit: (REUTERS/Kyodo))

President-elect Donald Trump and Mitt Romney dine at Jean Georges restaurant in New York City.
(Image credit: (Drew Angerer/Getty Images))

A woman with a Ziggy Stardust tattoo mourns David Bowie at a makeshift memorial in London.
(Image credit: (REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth))

Security forces wear gas masks at the Kosovo assembly after a disruption in a parliamentary session in Kosovo's capital Pristina.
(Image credit: (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu))

Director of Emergency Operations for St. James Parish, Blaise Gravois, visits the Sugar Hill RV Park following a storm in Convent, Louisiana.
(Image credit: (AP Photo/Max Becherer))

A sniper fires towards Islamic State militants in Sirte, Libya.
(Image credit: (AP Photo/Manu Brabo))

White House staffers listen to President Obama's post-election speech at the White House in Washington, D.C.
(Image credit: (REUTERS/Joshua Roberts))

A mustard field in Srinagar, India.
(Image credit: (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan, File))

Military veterans huddle together to hold a United States flag during protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline in Cannon Ball, North Dakota.
(Image credit: (AP Photo/David Goldman))

Scottish red deer graze in Glen Etive at the end of the rutting season in Scotland.
(Image credit: (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images))

A cheeky man dressed as Santa Claus relieves himself during SantaCon in London.
(Image credit: (REUTERS/Peter Nicholls)**Check out more of the year's best photojournalism.**)
Sign up for The Week’s free daily newsletter, Today’s Best Articles
Join 350,000+ subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Lauren Hansen produces The Week’s podcasts and videos and edits the photo blog, Captured. She also manages the production of the magazine's iPad app. A graduate of Kenyon College and Northwestern University, she previously worked at the BBC and Frontline. She knows a thing or two about pretty pictures and cute puppies, both of which she tweets about @mylaurenhansen.