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Jurys 2020

CIVIS Media Prize 2020

A total of 36 very experienced experts from the media, culture and politics have been involved in the three juries for the CIVIS Media Prize 2020.

The members of the YOUNG C. Jury and the Video Jury each met for several days at the premises of the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF) in Vienna. The AUDIO jury met in the ARD capital studio in Berlin. Each jury viewed up to 40 hours of material. In total, there were over 900 submissions in 2020. A day in the team of a CIVIS Jury means full concentration for each member and stands for many lively discussions. The selection of the nominated contributions is based on strict criteria and high journalistic standards.

Here you can see the members of the juries of the CIVIS Media Prize 2020 during the meetings in Vienna and Berlin:

YOUNG C. Jury Vienna

The jury members from left to right.

Prof. Dr. Andreas Zick

University of Bielefeld | Director Institute Conflict and Violence Research

“The young journalistic view on integration and migration is more radical, because: It makes clear the miserable situation of refugees with all the backgrounds, it shows that diversity is more lip service than reality, and it confronts us with stereotypes and prejudices that we have secretly accepted in order not to make our countries too open. Beware: young also means fast, fact-filled, and forward-thinking.”

Christoph Takacs

ORF | TV Director Salzburg Regional Studio

“Remarkably to the point and strikingly original. This is what distinguishes this year’s works and, in a special way, the prize winner. Chapeau! (It’s the details that create something truly valuable, and when those details fit together perfectly, something truly extraordinary emerges, like this 2020 awardee entry)”

Cherno Jobatey

TV presenter, journalist

“The Young CIVIS Class of 2020 has been encouraging: even in difficult times, the creativity of a new generation surprises with killer ideas!”

Schiwa Schlei

WDR | Head of >COSMO< Program, Head of ARD Partner Management

“Impressive the power that intelligently applied humor can unleash – especially on a serious topic like integration.”

Andreas Orth

TV journalist, author

“Visual creativity, sophisticated presentation and even wit are on the rise!”

Pinar Atalay (Chairwoman)

ARD | TV presenter >Tagesthemen, Plusminus, NDR Aktuell<

“We are honoring a film that tackles an unfortunately increasingly explosive topic in a profound way, but also with intelligent humor, and so we quickly agreed, because this film moved us very much as a jury.”

Wolfgang Vichtl

BR | Head of Online Editorial BR24

“What we as the CIVIS jury were privileged to award: videos that make cool smarter, immune to conspiracy theories. In Corona times, even more important than before.”

Michael Radix

CIVIS Media Foundation | Managing Director until March 31, 2020

“What is remarkable for me is the state failure at the EU external borders. Numerous programs address oppressive border experiences in 2020: the uncompromising isolationist policy of >Fortress Europe<, without uniform asylum rules, the repatriation of refugees without a legal basis. Inhuman. Also striking are the reports and features on the anti-democratic developments in our society, on both the right and the left, and the seductiveness of autocratic systems. What’s in store – life in transit?”

Ferdos Forudastan

CIVIS Media Foundation | Managing Director as of 01.04.2020 (Not in picture)

“I was particularly struck by how many different, exciting, thought-provoking ways there now are for media professionals to address the issues of migration, integration and cultural diversity.”

YOUNG C. Jury Vienna

The jury members from left to right.

Michael Radix

CIVIS Media Foundation | Managing Director until March 31, 2020

“What is remarkable for me is the state failure at the EU external borders. Numerous programs address oppressive border experiences in 2020: the uncompromising isolationist policy of >Fortress Europe<, without uniform asylum rules, the repatriation of refugees without a legal basis. Inhuman. Also striking are the reports and features on the anti-democratic developments in our society, on both the right and the left, and the seductiveness of autocratic systems. What’s in store – life in transit?”

Igor E. Bergant

RTV Slovenia | TV Anchorman >ODMEVI<

“Jury work is a valuable learning process of democratic thinking for me: hours of discussions with excellent colleagues about many excellent entries gave me the opportunity to sharpen my own sense of democracy this time as well.”

Irène Challand

Online Irène Challand SRG | Director General, Head >of >Contribution to Society<<

“The selection of the 2020 films was a reflection of the various threats to integration and diversity in our democracy. All over Europe, these values are in danger. I do not see black. I only see. And the CIVIS Prize should also give us all courage to look further and find solutions!”

Dr. Udo Grätz

WDR | Deputy Editor-in-Chief Television, Head of Domestic Affairs

“To see what’s going well and not so well in our society, all you need to do is look at the productions that have been submitted.”

Ferdos Forudastan

CIVIS Media Foundation | Managing Director as of 01.04.2020

“I was particularly struck by how many different, exciting, thought-provoking ways there now are for media professionals to address the issues of migration, integration and cultural diversity.”

Susanne Sturm

MDR | Head of Editorial Department Religion & Society

“For me, the jury days were a premiere. I was impressed by the passion, tenacity and courage needed to make many of the submitted films happen. Respect to all’ the journalists who put themselves at risk and suffering to be able to tell us about it firsthand.”

Tom Zwiessler

RTLZWEI | Head of Programming

“In these turbulent times in Europe and the world, we need, more than ever, courageous filmmakers who look closely, who refute prejudices, who stand up to populists with their committed objectivity. The CIVIS Media Prize recognizes
again this year, outstanding achievements by media professionals who are making their contribution to a better society – because they show what is.”

Ingrid Thurnher

ORF | Editor-in-Chief ORF III Television

“It was my first CIVIS jury session, and the intensity of the discussions could definitely keep up with the quality of the submissions.”

Michael Loeb

WDR mediagroup | Head of Management

“Working in the CIVIS Jury is the best time of the year for me, because integration and cultural diversity are goals that are essential for a free democratic society in the center of Europe. CIVIS offers a forum to all those who help to achieve these goals with their contributions, whether magazine, documentary or entertainment. To be able to view these contributions in all their diversity is a privilege.”

Buket Alakus

Film director, screenwriter

“The mirror of a society is shown through its creatives, what they are engaged in and how they tell their stories. Also in this CIVIS jury work, I was pleased to see that many topics of our lives were addressed in their diversity and differences.”

Bakel Walden

SRG | Director Development and Supply

“The passion that went into the many entries was reflected one-to-one in the passionate discussion of the judges.”

Roger de Weck (Chairman)

Publicist, Media Manager (DG SRG SSR 2011-2017)

“Out of heavy Corona time has come a great anti-racism movement. This reinforces the work of CIVIS and its juries.”

Anja Reschke

NDR | Head of Programming Culture and Documentation

“I was genuinely deeply impressed once again by how many different impressive, strong, emotional and excellently researched contributions are produced on the topic of integration and diversity.”

Maren Wintersberg

DW | Head of HA Feature and Documentation

“We in the jury were particularly impressed by the close look of some authors, who brought us often-told stories about refugee and migration fates, again in a new and emotional way.”

Dr. Markus Nievelstein

Arte | Managing Director Arte Germany

“What I have perceived as particularly strong in this CIVIS year is the close scrutiny, the detailed questioning, the persistence of the research. The authors and filmmakers want to know exactly, stay on it and don’t let themselves be stopped from showing reality and thus holding up a mirror to us. Anyone who has seen these films looks differently at the reality of integration and human dignity.”

Audio Jury Berlin

The jury members from left to right.

Martin Durm

Martin Durm ARD/SWR 2 | Radio Reporter, Foreign Correspondent

“There were entries in the final round that still resonate and resonate with me today.”

Jan Heiermann

BR | Head of Zündfunk

“My first participation as a member of the CIVIS jury community and in the circle of such diverse and great journalists was entertaining, challenging, highly exciting in terms of content – and thus a real enrichment for me! Thank you!”

Ulf Köhler

MDR | Head of Radio Feature MDR FIGARO

“Hours of concentrated listening, sitting for days on end, talking into the night – the images of the broadcasts for the CIVIS Radio Prize created with sounds and tones remain in the memory – for a long time, if not forever, they will tell of the fate of individual people in the world that should actually become a better one.”

Vivian Perkovic

Deutschlandradio | Journalist, Moderator

“In this year’s competition, I was particularly pleased with the sometimes even forensic trackers. Whether on the Balkan route, among fruit pickers or in Syrian prisons.
Diligently securing traces is the most basic qualification of journalists: searching, collecting and sorting. Everything else builds on that.”

Prof. Dr. Jo Groebel

Digital Institute Berlin | Director

“Yes, the CIVIS jury meetings also mean work. But they were and have become much more. The reunion with friends. Even more the emergence of new personal friendships with permanence and depth. Thanks for that!”

Jona Teichmann

WDR | Editor-in-Chief Radio

“This time we had pieces in the competition that offered what only radio can do: Using sounds, tones and voices to make me a witness to events for which there are no images.”

Jochen Rausch

WDR | Head of General Programming (1Live, WDR 2, WDR 4), deputy WDR Program Director

“Impressive how many outstanding audio pieces were submitted – the jury was spoiled for choice!”

Barbara Stanton

ORF | Head of Radio Information Department

“The contributions this time were distinguished by particularly diverse approaches; we laughed at humorous pieces and were somberly silent at others.”

Martin Wagner (Chairman)

BR | Radio Director until June 30, 2020

“Audio is fascinating, audio is exciting, audio is fun – that was a common thread throughout the jury’s engaging discussions!”

Dr. Beat Soltermann

SRF | Head of Echo der Zeit, Foreign Correspondent

“Wow, that was an earful! So much good audio!”

Michael Radix

CIVIS | Managing Director until 31.03.2020

“What is remarkable for me is the state failure at the EU external borders. Numerous programs address oppressive border experiences in 2020: the uncompromising isolationist policy of >Fortress Europe<, without uniform asylum rules, the repatriation of refugees without a legal basis. Inhuman. Also striking are the reports and features on the anti-democratic developments in our society, on both the right and the left, and the seductiveness of autocratic systems. What’s in store – life in transit?”

Prof. Jörg Hafkemeyer

UDK Berlin | Journalist, Author, Lecturer (Not in picture)

“In the jury sessions of CIVIS, above all, discussions, evaluations and decisions are concentrated, highly expert and fair.
What is striking is the great quality of the pieces submitted, regardless of genre. This refers to both the content and technical aspects of journalistic work.”