Federal Minister Karoline Edtstadler, ORF radio director Ingrid Thurnher and Thomas Bellut, former director of ZDF, congratulated the award winners
Vienna (OTS) – In 2023, the Hugo Portisch Society – an association for honoring and promoting journalistic achievements – awarded the Hugo Portisch Prize for the first time. This year the award ceremony took place on Thursday, May 23, 2024, in the ORF RadioKulturhaus: The doyenne of international war and crisis reporting Antonia Rados was awarded the main prize. “Kurier” journalist Armin Arbeiter was happy about the young talent award. In the Contemporary History/Documentation category, the editorial team of the multimedia documentary series “Austria – The Whole History” accepted the Hugo Portisch Prize.
The event was hosted by ORF III editor-in-chief Lou Lorenz-Dittlbacher, and the Janoska Ensemble provided the musical accompaniment. Thomas Bellut, renowned top media manager and former director of ZDF, gave this year’s keynote speech. Only quality journalism can counteract fake news: “We have closed parallel worlds in free societies, some of which are also financed by foreign secret services. Politicians are portrayed as perpetrators online and are brutally attacked in election campaigns – as is currently happening in Germany. Bans on this content on platforms are difficult to enforce and would also be a welcome template for totalitarian states. In the end, only broad, high-quality reporting in all media can counteract fake news,” says Bellut.
In addition to Federal Minister Karoline Edtstadler, ORF radio director Ingrid Thurnher and the former SPÖ federal managing director Gerhard Schmid, the guests also included the 2023 Portisch Prize winner Peter Fritz, the former ORF general director Alexander Wrabetz, the president of the Hugo Portisch Society, Peter Schöber, as well as Vice President Martina Salomon, Managing Director Gerald Grünberger, Board member Richard Grasl, Hugo Portisch’s family, historian Oliver Rathkolb, the jury members of the prize Susanne Glass (BR) and Helmut Wohnout (State Archives), ORF Foundation Councilor Andreas Kratschmar, ORF Finance Director Eva Schindlauer , ORF Vienna boss Edgar Weinzettl, ORF Tirol boss Esther Mitterstieler, the commercial director of ORF III, Kathrin Zierhut-Kunz, as well as the editors-in-chief Johannes Bruckenberger, Sebastian Prokop, Gabriele Waldner-Pammesberger (all ORF), Martin Gebhart (Kurier), Doris Helmberger-Fleckl (Die Furche), Clemens Pig (APA), Gerold Riedmann (Der Standard) and Jürgen Hofer (Horizon). Also taking part in the award ceremony were: the Afghan ambassador Manizha Bakhtari, Danielle Spera (Executive Director Culture. Media. Judaism.), the ORF journalists Susanne Schnabl, Rebekka Salzer, Gaby Konrad and Elisabeth Vogel, advertising professional Peter Lammerhuber, super department head Rainer Nowak ( Kronen Zeitung), the deputy editors-in-chief Michael Jungwirth (Kleine Zeitung) and Petra Stuiber (Der Standard), the journalists Marlene Auer (Kurier) and Eric Frey (Der Standard), the former profil editor-in-chief Christian Rainer and ORS- Managing Director Michael Wagenhofer.
Awards in memory of a journalist of the century
In her opening remarks, Federal Minister Karoline Edtstadler emphasized Hugo Portisch’s role as a journalistic conscience: “In a world of disinformation, fake news and hate campaigns, independent, objective media are the backbone of our liberal democracies. The Hugo Portisch Prize, like its namesake, is a symbol of high-quality, independent journalism. Congratulations to all award winners, whose work shows us the diversity and quality of Austrian journalism. The prize awarded today also recognizes this work accordingly,” said Federal Minister Karoline Edtstadler.
MP Gerhard Schmid, representing the city of Vienna: “Hugo Portisch was a pioneer towards Europe, a citizen of the world and a constantly up-to-date analyst, but also a man of the Enlightenment with a humanistic educational ideal and a humanitarian, tolerant attitude. Keeping his memory alive through an award ceremony is not only a valuable gesture, but multiplies the value of such an award!”
ORF radio director Ingrid Thurnher: “This year’s awards for a documentary series in the tradition of Portisch’s ‘Austria I & II’, the work of a young talent and the classification of events from the perspective of a world reporter combine much of what characterized Hugo Portisch’s work: irrepressible Curiosity, imparting knowledge at eye level and an incorruptible journalistic ethos. I congratulate the editorial team of ‘Austria – The Whole Story’, Armin Arbeiter and Antonia Rados on these high honors.”
“Journalism was and is a completely irreplaceable profession. Men like Hugo Portisch have had a significant impact on today’s Austria and our worldview. This will be no different in the future: Anyone who looks into our country and out into the world knows how big this task is. The ‘Portisch Prize’ is looking for role models – and has found them this year too,” says Heinz Nußbaumer, honorary chairman of the Hugo Portisch Society and a long-time companion of Hugo Portisch.
Peter Schöber, President of the Hugo Portisch Society:
“Quality journalism that reliably classifies and provides orientation is increasingly important in times of sensational clickbait for people who can no longer find their way in the supermarket of opinions. We as the Hugo Portisch Society want to honor journalism that, in the spirit of Hugo Portisch, explains instead of lecturing and tries to make the world a little more understandable. I would like to warmly congratulate all of this year’s award winners.”
Federal Minister Karoline Edtstadler presented this year’s Hugo Portisch main prize to the former RTL chief reporter, former ORF correspondent, war and crisis reporter Antonia Rados for her life’s work. Rados has set journalistic milestones, as judged by the international, top-class jury of experts. In addition, Rados maintained journalistic quality standards throughout her entire professional life and showed tremendous commitment, versatility, but also collegiality. “Kurier” editor-in-chief Martina Salomon gave the laudatory speech: “Antonia Rados is a pioneer with rough edges, never sensational, but always persistent. And she deserves the prize because she follows in the tradition of Hugo Portisch: curious, courageous, enlightening, confident, multimedia, cosmopolitan, equidistant.”
Gerald Grünberger gave the laudatory speech for the winner of the young talent award. “Over the last eight years of his career, Armin Arbeiter has achieved the status of an established young star who makes complex issues understandable with in-depth reports and analyzes in his specialist disciplines of foreign and defense policy. He not only travels to the world’s hotspots of conflict, but also explains himself in the spirit of Hugo Portisch. A more than deserving winner of this year’s young talent award,” said the VÖZ managing director. The award was presented by ORF radio director Ingrid Thurnher.
The editorial team of the ORF III documentary series “Austria – The Whole History” was awarded the Hugo Portisch Prize in the Contemporary History/Documentation category for their multi-part, multimedia treatment of Austrian history. Jury chairman and member of the Hugo Portisch Society as well as long-time n-tv boss and chairman of the German private broadcasting association Hans Demmel gave the laudatory speech for the editorial team, consisting of Otto Schwarz, Alexander Apostolidis, Mariella Gittler, Andreas Pfeifer as well as Stephanie and Matthias Ninaus. “’Austria – The Whole Story’ is a prime example of what public broadcasting can achieve, but also of what it must achieve,” said Hans Demmel. “The close collaboration between historical research and journalism as well as the resulting exciting communication of historical knowledge to the audience takes place in the best tradition of the namesake Hugo Portisch,” is the jury’s reasoning. The one by the artist donhofer. The trophy was presented to the editorial team by MP Gerhard Schmid.
A selection of photos is available at presse.ORF.at. downloadable
About the Hugo Portisch Prize
The award in memory of the unforgettable ORF documentarian, book author and former “Kurier” editor-in-chief Hugo Portisch was launched by the sponsors of the Hugo Portisch Society – ORF, Kurier and Austrian Media Academy – and is one of the most highly endowed prizes with a total of 60,000 euros for journalists in German-speaking countries.
Questions & Contact:
Michaela Reisinger, BA
Hugo Portisch Society – Association for the award and promotion of journalistic achievements
presse@hugo-portisch-gesellschaft.at
ORF – corporate communications
Rudolf Fehrmann
(01) 87878 – DW 12765
presse.ORF.at