Zurich Journalism Award 2020: Four outstanding works honored

The Zurich Journalism Prize was awarded for the fortieth time on Tuesday, but under extraordinary conditions. Due to the Corona crisis, the ceremony, traditionally held in spring, had to be postponed to September (Werbewoche.ch reported). But the ongoing uncertainties surrounding the epidemic prompted organizers to hold the anniversary edition as a digital-only event. Numerous guests joined the live event on Tuesday evening.

Once again this year, a large selection of high-quality works were submitted to the jury. The panel was able to review a total of 170 texts that appeared in Swiss-German media last year.

Climate deniers, disability insurance, Mozambique scandal and erotic fairs

One prize goes to Carole Koch and Boas Ruh. They analyzed in the NZZ on Sundaythe questionable methods used by climate skeptics and lobbyists to attack established climate scientists. The laudatory speech said that such elaborate research exemplifies how important background journalism is for the legitimization of the media as the fourth estate.

Thomas Schlittler also received an award. In a series of articles for the Sunday View The book shows how the disability insurance system tries in a questionable way to push people in need of help into the social welfare system. Schlittler had precisely dissected the IV's defense system, according to the laudation. He triggered several initiatives in parliament.

Christian Zeiter, head of the research team Reflekt, which he co-founded, receives the Zurich Journalism Prize for an article published in the Magazine was published. In it, he explained how Credit Suisse was involved in the biggest financial scandal in Mozambique. With his precise analysis, the journalist gave the affair new political urgency.

The jury awarded the Newcomer Prize to Daniel Faulhaber. He saw himself for Bajour with an alert eye at two erotic trade fairs. He also did so self-critically. The author does not evaluate, but describes. And he does so brilliantly, according to the laudatory speech.

The Zurich Journalism Prize has been awarded since 1981. Each of the main prizes is endowed with 10,000 Swiss francs, and the Newcomer Prize, created in 2018, with 5,000 Swiss francs. Prizes are awarded for complete works as well as outstanding and groundbreaking works, regardless of whether they were distributed via a newspaper, magazine or online channel.

Since this year, the Journalism Prize has been on a new financial footing. The three Zurich media houses NZZ, Ringier and Tamedia are now the sponsors of the foundation. In addition, well-known companies and institutions - including JTI, Google and IKEA - support the event with monetary contributions.