“Yusra Swims for Her Life” is 2016’s best audio-visual report. Journalism Award goes to Czech Radio
On 3 May, Czech Radio’s exclusive document “Yusra Swims for Her Life” received the prestigious Journalism Award. The project describes a thrilling story of an 18-year-old Syrian girl and her bravery. The swimmer Yusra Mardini embarked on an arduous journey from demolished Damascus to Germany where her life’s dream came true. She was selected as one of the ten athletes competing for the Refugee Olympic Team.
The interactive audio-visual project by Brit Jensen and Magdalena Sodomková is the result of co-operation between the Czech Radio’s news channel Radiožurnál, Czech Radio’s Creative HUB, and the Document Creative Group.
“I’m really happy that Czech Radio received the 2016 Journalism Award for the best audio-visual report. The multi-media report Yusra Swims for Her Life is an exceptional piece of Czech journalism and illustrates what gripping and unique stories radio can offer its listeners,” said René Zavoral, Director General of Czech Radio.
Being the first ever co-operation of this kind, the entire series also aired in the English language at BBC Radio 4 a BBC World Service, receiving very favourable response.
“I would like to congratulate Magda, Brit and the whole team that contributed to the document ‘Yusra Swims for Her Life’. Right from the start, we know we had a truly great and powerful story on our hands. I’m really glad that after airing the English version for BBC, this excellent work has also been acknowledged by the jury of the Journalism Award contest,” said happily Ondřej Suchan, Editor-in-chief at Radiožurnál.
Visit the special interactive website for the document Yusra Swims for Her Life, which shows Czech Radio’s possibilities in the area of producing new formats of original creative work.