Cologne City-Anzeiger wins Theodor-Wolff Prize in press release announcement
In a significant recognition of outstanding journalistic work, the podcast "Assassination at the Flower Stand - The Attack on Cologne's Mayor and the Threat to Democracy" has been awarded the prestigious Theodor Wolff Award in the category "Best Local Digital Project."
Produced by Cologne City-Anzeiger, this podcast delves into the near-fatal stabbing attack on Cologne's mayor Henriette Reker on October 17, 2015. Over seven episodes, it reconstructs the events of the attack and its aftermath, featuring interviews with witnesses, those affected by the attack, helpers, and Cologne's mayor herself.
The attack on Mayor Reker was the most serious attack on a local politician in German post-war history, and this podcast sheds light on its impact and the broader threat to democracy. Sarah Brasack, deputy editor-in-chief of the Cologne City-Anzeiger, stated that the podcast is still highly relevant because it broadens our view of a dangerously growing problem: the increase in verbal and physical attacks on politicians.
The Theodor Wolff Award is one of the most important journalist awards in Germany, and this year, it also recognised Martin Spiewak in the category "Opinion" for his commentary "Jung, männlich, abgehängt" published in DIE ZEIT. In the category "Reportage," Thorsten Schmitz and Peter Münch were awarded for their piece "7. Oktober" published in the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
The jury found the podcast "Assassination at the Flower Stand - The Attack on Cologne's Mayor and the Threat to Democracy" to be a work that stands out among local podcasts, has political relevance, and is innovative in storytelling. It praised the podcast for making socially relevant topics accessible to a wide audience with innovative digital formats.
Cologne City-Anzeiger Media, a DuMont Company, last won the Theodor Wolff Award in 2021, for video contributions in the wake of the flood disaster in the Ahr valley and North Rhine-Westphalia. The company's regional advertising papers and radio stations are the first source of information and entertainment for many people every day.
Thomas Schultz-Homberg, CEO of KStA Media, has praised the podcast as outstanding journalistic work. He congratulated Helmut Frangenberg and Laura Ostenda on their outstanding achievement for winning the Theodor Wolff Award. The award is endowed with a total of 30,000 euros.
With more than 400 journalists participating with 344 contributions, the competition for the award was fierce. The award is presented by the Federal Association of Digital Publishers and Newspaper Publishers (BDZV). Cologne City-Anzeiger Media stands for products that convince with journalistic quality and local focus.
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