Tamedia: Sponsorship award for three journalists
For the fourth time since 2008, Tamedia is honoring outstanding contributions in its media with an award. The awards are presented by the committee of the Editorial Conference of Chief Editors, chaired by publisher Pietro Supino.
Employees or teams who were awarded a recognized media or journalism prize in the previous year are automatically considered for selection. Three journalists from Le Matin and Tages-Anzeiger have qualified for the 2011 prize: Ludovic Rocchi from Le Matin, Michael Meier from Tages-Anzeiger and Maurice Thiriet, Tages-Anzeiger.
According to a Tamedia press release, the funding is intended to take into account the individual needs of the winners and support them with journalistic projects or a change of perspective. The prizewinners are offered paid working time, financial support for a major piece of research, an exchange with another editorial team in Switzerland or abroad and the opportunity for further training.
Winner of the sponsorship award
Ludovic Rocchi, editor at Le Matin, received the Prix Dumur in 2010 for his revelations in the Hainard case, which led to the resignation of the Neuchâtel State Councillor. Since 1987, a jury consisting of around twenty journalists, editors-in-chief and former editors-in-chief has been awarding the most prestigious journalism prize in French-speaking Switzerland. The Prix Dumur is named after the former head of information at French-speaking Swiss television.
Michael Meier, editor at the Tages-Anzeiger, received the Zurich Journalism Prize for his complete works in 2011. Over the past 25 years, Michael Meier has written important articles for the Tages-Anzeiger in the domestic, foreign, Zurich, culture, background and life sections. "In his field, he is a cultural critic in the best sense of the word," said the jury in its laudatory speech. Michael Meier reads the signs of the times with an eye to the future.
Maurice Thiriet, editor at the Tages-Anzeiger, was awarded the Zurich Journalism Prize 2011 in the young talent category for his article "Die eingebildete Astronautin". The jury noted that he had not allowed himself to be blinded by the brash statements that are often made in today's media business. The attractive story of a young woman from Toggenburg who made it as a NASA astronaut has been readily retold by many. Thiriet, on the other hand, got to the bottom of the matter and debunked the "stratospheric" story, praised the jury.
