Johanna Hirzberger and Vincent Leb from FHWien der WKW’s educational radio station were awarded the prize in the “Documentation and Information” category for their feature about two stateless people.
Vienna, January 31, 2025 – What does it mean to have no citizenship, i.e. to be stateless? This question is affecting more and more people in Austria but has hardly been addressed in the domestic media to date. Johanna Hirzberger (33) and Vincent Leb (26) from Radio Radieschen, the educational station of FHWien der WKW, have dealt intensively with the topic and created an extraordinary portrait of two stateless people. They were selected from 135 entries for the 27th Adult Education Radio Prize and were awarded the prize in the “Documentation and Information” category on January 23, 2025.
Legal in Austria – and yet stateless
The award-winning radio feature is entitled “We can’t help you there either: Stateless people in Austria”. Hirzberger and Leb carefully delve into the everyday lives of Nowras Rahhal (30) and Bayan (23) and describe the difficulties faced by stateless people. They also dispel prejudices against stateless people. Someone can live and work legally in Austria and have a passport – and still not have citizenship. Those affected face invisible hurdles, which the radio report, which was preceded by in-depth research, sensitively illuminates.
Recognition for high-quality journalism
The Adult Education Radio Prize is awarded in five categories: “Culture”, “Documentation and Information”, “Conversations and Debates”, “Education” and “Series and Themes”. The jury is made up of experts from the fields of journalism, media studies and adult education. From 135 submissions from 21 radio stations, they selected six productions that illustrate the relevance and creativity of the Austrian radio landscape. The jury praised Hirzberger’s and Leb’s feature as an important contribution to raising awareness of statelessness.
Successful alumni of FHWien der WKW
Both Johanna Hirzberger and Vincent Leb are alumni of the Journalism & Media Management study programs at FHWien der WKW. Hirzberger graduated from the Master’s program in Journalism & New Media, Leb from the Bachelor’s program in Journalism & Media Management. “This award is a great recognition for the outstanding journalistic work of Johanna Hirzberger and Vincent Leb,” explains Head of Study Programs Daniela Süssenbacher. “In their feature, they have dealt with a relevant topic in a sensitive and well-founded way. The depth of their research and the quality of the implementation are also evidence of the high quality of our degree programs, equipping students with the tools for excellent journalism.”
Listen to the Radio Radieschen podcasts
Many broadcasts and podcasts by FHWien der WKW students and the editorial team can be found on the Radio Radieschen website at radio-radieschen.at as well as on the platforms Spotify, iTunes, SoundCloud and Podcaster.de. Listen to the award-winning feature here:
We can’t help you there either. Stateless people in Austria
About the Journalism & Media Management study programs at FHWien der WKW
The Journalism & Media Management study programs at FHWien der WKW has been offering practice-oriented degree programs for entry into quality journalism for over 20 years. Three programs – two Bachelor’s and one Master’s – provide journalistic know-how in content production and media management. The focus is on a close integration of theory and practice. More than two thirds of the lecturers come from the media industry. They contribute their many years of professional experience to teaching, which guarantees students a particularly practical education.
Photo:
Johanna Hirzberger and Vincent Leb from Radio Radieschen, the educational radio station of FHWien der WKW, received the Adult Education Radio Prize (Radiopreis der Erwachsenenbildung) for their feature on stateless people.
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Copyright: Michaela Obermair
FHWien der WKW – University of Applied Sciences for Management & Communication
FHWien der WKW is Austria’s leading university of applied sciences for management and communication. Its Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs offer over 2,800 students a practical academic education. Around 900 people complete a continuing education program at the university. Two thirds of the teaching staff come directly from industry. The close cooperation with local companies in teaching and research prepares students optimally for their careers. Since its foundation in 1994, FHWien der WKW has already produced around 15,100 graduates.
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www.fh-wien.ac.at