Published on 24.08.2021

Münsterland Journalism Award 2020/21: Contributions by twelve journalists each awarded 2000 euros

Special prize complements five categories

MÜNSTERLAND. Moving stories, tenaciously researched, originally prepared: Twelve journalists were awarded the Münsterland Journalism Prize 2020/21 for their contributions on Tuesday evening (24 August). All of them convinced the jury in their own way with their work and thus secured the prize of 2000 euros each.

In five categories, supplemented by a special prize, the Münsterland e.V., the Pressverein Münster-Münsterland e.V. and the Sparkasse Münsterland Ost as sponsor awarded the prize to the winners. The event took place in a small circle at Gut Havichhorst in Münster, taking into account the currently valid Corona Protection Ordinance.

"The quality of the contributions to the Journalism Prize is shown above all in the fact that they make opinion-forming and networked thinking transparent and promote it, provide important knowledge about contexts, enable an independent classification in a larger context, engage with a topic with all senses and prepare it with the possibilities of modern journalism. This requires an overview, imagination and usually a lot of hard work," says Klaus Richter, deputy chairman of the board of Sparkasse Münsterland Ost.

Klaus Ehling, Chairman of Münsterland e.V., underlined the value of good and critical journalism for the region. "Good journalists inform, classify and uncover. In doing so, they drive Münsterland as a region to think outside the box, face up to critical facts and thus constantly develop further."

Wolfram Linke, Chairman of the Press Association Münster-Münsterland e.V. and at the same time member of the jury, emphasised: "For us as a press association it is important to put the focus on the so important work of regional journalists with this award. By awarding the special prize, we show that we are open to media developments and creative concepts, which have gained enormous importance, especially during the Corona pandemic."

These are the winners of the Münsterland Journalism Award 2020/21:

Category Society/Politics:

Andrea Hansen and Hartmut Vollmari, "Abuse Case Münster - The Role of the Youth Welfare Office", WDR Lokalzeit Münsterland

Andrea Hansen and Hartmut Vollmari have been awarded the Journalism Prize in the Society/Politics category for their critical research entitled "Abuse Case Münster - The Role of the Youth Welfare Office", broadcast on WDR Lokalzeit Münsterland.

Creative Representation Category:

Lars Berg, photo reportage "Im Geisterhaus", DER SPIEGEL.

Lars Berg received the Journalism Award in the category Creative Representation. In his photo reportage "Im Geisterhaus" (In the House of the Spirits), published in DER SPIEGEL magazine, he takes a look inside the Borromaeum Episcopal Seminary in Münster.

Category Culture/Tourism:

Jan Hering, Hannah Meloh, Christoph Tiemann and Vasco Tjong-Ayong, "Tiemann tests", WDR Lokalzeit Münsterland.

Jan Hering, Hannah Meloh, Christoph Tiemann and Vasco Tjong-Ayong have been awarded the Journalism Prize in the Culture/Tourism category. With their broadcast series "Tiemann testet" from WDR Lokalzeit Münsterland, they have been taking a creative and humorous look into the restaurants, kitchens and cooking pots of the region for seven years.

Sports category:

Uwe Gehrmann, Henning Hoheisel and Benedikt Miketta, multimedia series "The true heart of football", Die Glocke.

The editors Uwe Gehrmann, Henning Hoheisel and Benedikt Miketta of Die Glocke have been awarded for their multimedia series "The True Heart of Football". In it, they portray people who pursue their passion for football on a voluntary basis and with a lot of heart and soul - on or off the pitch.

Business/Science category:

Stefan Werding, "Stroke Unit" series, Westfälische Nachrichten

Stefan Werding, editor of the Westfälische Nachrichten, was awarded for his reporting on the topic of the "Stroke Unit" in Münster. In it, he reports on the Clemenshospital's attempt to establish an additional stroke unit in Münster.

Special prize:

Michael Schmitz/Münster 4 Life, "Münster hält zusammen", Instagram and Facebook account muenster4life and short film "Münster above - Corona".

For the second time, the jury of the Münsterland Journalism Prize awarded a special prize. This went to Michael Schmitz and the team from Münster 4 Life for their social media activities during the Corona pandemic around the self-coined slogan "Münster holds together - in jovelen and in schovelen times".

Speakers at this year's award ceremony were: Prof. Dr. Nicolette Bredenhöller (Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Die Glocke), Klaus Ehling (Chairman of Münsterland e.V.), Werner Hinse (freelance journalist), Wolfram Linke (Chairman of Pressverein Münster-Münsterland e.V.), Klaus Richter (Deputy Chairman of Sparkasse Münsterland Ost) and Prof. Dr. Armin Scholl (Institute for Communication Studies at WWU Münster). The evening was moderated by Tobias Häusler.

The Münsterland Journalist Award is announced every two years by Münsterland e.V. with Pressverein Münster-Münsterland e.V. and Sparkasse Münsterland Ost as sponsors.

A total of 205 applications from 138 journalists were received by Münsterland e.V. for the Münsterland Journalism Award 2020/21. The prize winners were selected by a jury of representatives from regional media, the Münster-Münsterland e.V. press association and the Münster University of Economics and Business Administration (WWU): Andrea Benstein (head of the WDR Münster studio), Nicolette Bredenhöller (deputy editor-in-chief of Die Glocke Ost), Nicolette Bredenhöller (head of the WDR Münster studio) and Nicolette Bredenhöller (deputy editor-in-chief of Die Glocke Ost). Chief Editor Die Glocke), Wolfram Linke (Chairman Presseverein Münster-Münsterland e.V.), Prof. Dr. Armin Scholl (Institute for Communication Studies at WWU Münster), Dr. Norbert Tiemann (Chief Editor Westfälische Nachrichten/Zeitungsgruppe Münsterland) and Lennart Thies (Chief Editor Radio WMW).

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