Gruner + Jahr | Hamburg, 01/08/2015

'Journalists of the Year': Awards for G+J

The trade journal "Medium Magazin" has selected the "Journalists of the Year" for the eleventh time. The G+J magazine "11 Freunde" was named "Editorial Team of the Year", and other Gruner + Jahr colleagues at "Stern", "Art" and "Sächsische Zeitung" were also honored for their achievements.

For the first time in the history of the award, a G+J magazine won the award for "Editorial Team of the Year". The jury explained its decision: "Much praised and often celebrated – and always rightfully so. ’11 Freunde’ continues to be an affectionately produced magazine around the social dimensions of the sport of football and online with a live ticker, which always sets new standards with regard to reading pleasure and level of expertise. A special highlight in 2014: the issue designed by Bundesliga professionals with personal texts and insights about the sport business, directed by the editorial team." Philipp Köster, Editor-in-chief of "11 Freunde", was delighted: "2014 was a beautiful, exciting and suspenseful year for us. The award as best editorial team is a wonderful conclusion of the past twelve months."

"Medium Magazin" also honored the work of a few other G+J colleagues: in the category "Political Journalist of the Year", Katja Glogler, a writer at "Stern", made it to second place. The jury: "Gloger is not kneeling at the feet of politicians but encounters them at eye-level without hyperventilation or poverty of ideas, whether in Moscow or in Washington." At "Stern" magazine she is the one with excellent political knowledge and a memory for history and stories, as her reports about the conflict in Ukraine demonstrated in 2014.

"Wild, loud, shrill, big, strong"

"Art" Editor-in-chief Tim Sommer was honored as one of the ten "Newcomers of the Year" for the relaunch of the G+J art magazine: "To be precise, Sommer, of course, is not a newcomer but this man from the east who has been at the helm of a western magazine (‘Art’, since 2004) and has just completed a relaunch that is shockingly courageous," the jury explained its decision to select Sommer for eighth place. "Everything torn down, everything rebuilt. Wild, loud, shrill, big, strong. A true revolution. And it worked, which cannot be said of many revolutions. This deserves recognition beyond the inside circles that usually read and appreciate ‘Art’ magazine…"

Uwe Vetterick, Editor-in-chief of "Sächsische Zeitung", landed in third place in the category "Editor-in-chief of the Year – regional". The jury commented: "Discretely and purposefully, Vetterick makes a good editorial team stronger – honored with the award for regional journalists 2014. Projects and series such as ‘Glückliche Sachsen’ and the ‘Familienkompass’ were a success, all under the motto: not married to paper but to good journalism."

His colleague Ulrich Wolf made it to seventh place in the "Economics" category. As a reporter of "Sächsische Zeitung" he uncovered the scandal about the Dresden based financial service provider Infinus, one of Germany’s biggest bankruptcies ever, as the jury stated: "Small team, weeks of work, great performance."

The non-monetary award "Journalist of the Year" has been presented by the trade journal "Medium Magazin" since 2004. This year’s award presentation takes place on 23 February at the Deutsches Historisches Museum in Berlin.