The prize was awarded to ten young journalists on Monday. The awards were presented for works in the categories Radio/Audio, TV/Video, Text and Online/Multimedia as well as Best Thesis.
Vienna, September 29, 2020 – With the Journalism Young Talent Award, FHWien der WKW supports students and graduates at the start of their career and offers them a platform to present themselves to the industry and a larger audience. The prize is awarded for the best practical journalistic work that has been produced during the past academic year as part of courses or as a final thesis.
The Journalism Young Talent Award was organized for the second time by the Journalism & Media Management study programs of FHWien der WKW. On Monday, September 28, 2020, ten young journalists received their prizes at an online award ceremony.
Expert jury with journalists from renowned media
The submitted works were evaluated by a jury of twelve. In addition to the four experts of FHWien der WKW Regula Blocher, Carola Leitner, Martin Reichenauer and Karina Schwann, eight journalists were among the jury members: Leila Al-Serori (Süddeutsche Zeitung), Christine Grabner (freelance TV designer), Katharina Mittelstaedt (Der Standard), Eduard Moschitz (ORF), Bea Sommersguter and Elisabeth Stratka (both Ö1), Robert Varga (APA) and Yvonne Widler (Kurier).
Award-winning radio report on the “new” Wienerlied in four verses
Christine Mayrhofer was awarded in the category Radio & Audio for her contribution “Das ‘neue’ Wienerlied”. According to the motto “Dialect is in again; melancholy was never out” she reports on the return and the renewed success of this genre – also beyond Austria’s borders. Divided into four verses, she takes stock of the multi-ethnic Viennese population and the soil on which many new developments of the Wienerlied are based.
“The idea to describe the essence of the new Viennese song or the modern Heurigenlied in four verses is extremely creative,” was the jury’s verdict. “The interview partners were chosen with pinpoint accuracy. With numerous audio examples set in the context of the successful narration, the contribution was excellently realized.”
TV report on female protest culture in France and Austria
In their excellent contribution “Protester à la française, Aufstand auf Österreichisch”, Annabell Lutz and Julia Wendy approach the different protest culture of two countries. They follow activists in Paris who commemorate the victims of feminicide and report on feminist collectives who take to the streets in Vienna for their ideals.
“The report focuses on the difficult topic of ‘Talking about rape’. The activists were able to talk about their concerns without their stories taking up too much space,” the jury explained. “It was quite normal that they talked about it. The contribution formally implemented what these women were demanding.”
Report on unequal treatment in medicine awarded as best text
In “Her heart beats faster” Jara Majerus deals with the physical differences between women and men and the resulting inequality in medical treatment. In talks with doctors and researchers, she describes the challenges and explains why these differences can have life-threatening consequences for women in particular – for example, if they suffer a heart attack.
“The text takes up an important, current topic and presents it comprehensively. Well-researched, well-structured and written in a linguistically and narrative entertaining and clear way,” the jury sums it up. “Exciting to read and really well done.”
Award for multimedia group work on unconditional basic income
The award in the category Online/Multimedia went to a group work. Data-journalistically prepared and carefully narrated, Emilia Garbsch, Emil Biller, Melissa Erhardt and Hannah Horsten follow in their work “Unconditionally unconditional?” a street saleswoman in Bolivia who has slipped below the subsistence level due to the Corona crisis. They also explain various models of a basic income and offer a comprehensive view of the topic.
The unanimous verdict of the jury: “A collection of multimedia presentations, very carefully and thoughtfully implemented and wonderfully told. High praise for the storytelling. Title, realization, thematic topicality and journalistic quality: an outstanding project and plays all the pieces of multimedia journalism.”
Two winners in the category Best Thesis
This year, the prize for the best final thesis was awarded to two students. Maximilian Miller was honored for his Bachelor’s thesis “Truth As We Draw It” on comic journalism, in which four journalists explain the genre in form of a multimedia report. Combined with his own drawings, the work offers an entertaining introduction to the topic. “The innovative and interactive approach of the work focuses on a niche topic of journalism,” says the jury. “Written in English with the international community in mind, the work offers an exciting and graphically unique approach to journalism in drawn form – timeless in its implementation.
Miriam Steiner received an award for her Master’s thesis “Beach & Bach”, a short TV documentary about two women who each made their own contribution to environmental protection. The documentary leads to Lower Austria and Bali and shows in a positive manner different ways of dealing with the climate crisis. “In terms of content as well as design, the contribution implements the ideas of solution-oriented journalism,” the jury explains its verdict. “A topic that is always up-to-date, great images, narration and moderation very well thought-out and focused implementation.”
Focus on strengthening high-quality and careful journalism
“The importance of high-quality and careful journalism is particularly evident in times of crisis. As the leading training institution for journalists in Austria, we are aware of this. With the Journalism Young Talent Award, we want to strengthen exactly these values in journalism,” says Daniela Süssenbacher, Head of Journalism & Media Management Study Programs at FHWien der WKW, about the reasons for the award. “The Corona crisis also presented our students with unexpected challenges. As an educational institution, we are particularly concerned with the promotion of young professionals, and in times like these we would like to draw attention all the more to the great commitment with which the students work.”
At present, the Journalism Young Talent Award is only open to students and graduates of FHWien der WKW.
Michel Mehle, editor and presenter at Radio NJOY 91.3, FHWien der WKW’s training radio channel, once again lead through the award ceremony.
FHWien der WKW
University of Applied Sciences for Management & Communication
FHWien der WKW has been Austria’s leading university of applied sciences for management & communication for over 25 years. Working in close contact with Austrian corporations, FHWien der WKW offers comprehensive and practice-oriented academic programs to over 2,800 Bachelor’s and Master’s students. Two thirds of our teaching staff have a background in business. Our programs are tailored to the needs of companies, optimally preparing our graduates – more than 11,800 to date – for their future careers.
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