International Award for Innovation. Radiožurnál Receives Journalism Award for Studio '39
Radiožurnál’s Studio '39 project won the Czech-German Journalism Award in the Audio category. Representatives of the radio station, including newscaster Jan Pokorný, accepted the award at the gala evening in Leipzig. The seven-hour broadcast which aired on 15 March of this year reconstructed the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia 80 years ago.
While the newscasters were interviewing historians in the studio, reporters were broadcasting live from the Czech regions with period news bulletins.
The panel liked the project for its combination of live broadcasts from the locations that the German armada passed through 80 years ago and the testimonies of eyewitnesses and military historians. Moreover, the studio was set up in middle of the foyer of Prague’s Main Station, allowing passers-by to watch the broadcasters work.
“Studio 39 brought the past to the present, thus creating a courageous, new format on a popular broadcasting channel,” said panel member František Černý to Radiožurnál.
Petr Dudek, Jan Pokorný, Petr Pospíšil, Ondřej Suchan and Martin Veselovský were honoured for the project in the Audio category.
“The huge group of people who worked on the project did an amazing job. We are delighted that not only listeners and viewers who were at the location enjoyed it, but that the panel of experts appreciated it. Receiving an award for this project in Germany is a huge acknowledgement,” said Radiožurnál’s Editor-in-Chief Ondřej Suchan.
Other Awards
For the German side, Jacqueline Hene won the Audio category for her contribution “Flooded City”. According to the panel, she “was able to present history on the Czech-German borderlands through joint youth events, thereby making them accessible to a wider audience.”
The Czech-German Journalism Award is bestowed each year by the Czech-German Future Fund together with the journalist associations of both countries. It highlights authors who foster relationships between both neighbouring countries.
The panel of judges comprises reporters and other important personalities from both the Czech Republic and Germany.
The award has three categories, with one German project and one Czech project being chosen as winners in each. Radiožurnál won in the Audio category. The Text category winner was Adéla Tallisová Dražanová of Reportér magazine, and the Multimedia category winner was Jiří Fiedor of Czech Television. Kirill Ščeblykin of Deník N won the special Milena Jesenská Award.
The ceremony took place at the historical UT Connewitz cinema in Leipzig and was attended by over 200 guests, including former Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Karel Schwarzenberg and Federal Commissioner for Stasi Records Roland Jahn.