Time archivist Ingrid Eißele, together with the Stern-Editor Catrin Boldebuck achieved second place at the Richard von Weizsäcker Journalism Award ceremony. Both received the award last Tuesday evening at the Berlin representative office of the Bertelsmann Foundation for their debate on the topic of euthanasia with Member of Parliament Lars Castellucci, patient Bettina Steckmann, and palliative care physician Matthias Thöns.
The prize is awarded by the Unionhilfswerk Foundation and honors outstanding works on the topics of dying, death, and grief.
This year's prize was themed „Assisted Suicide - The Fundamental Right to a Self-Determined Death.“ With contributions from print, radio, television, and online media, journalists addressed the legal and ethical challenges of assisted suicide. The jury chairman, Bishop Dr. Christian Stäblein, emphasized the quality of the submitted works: „This year's journalistic contributions are characterized by depth and empathy. They help us to look at death and dying with different eyes – as something that is inextricably linked to life and that we should approach with dignity. The subject of assisted suicide sheds broad light on a controversial topic and makes it public – in the best sense before God and the world.“
Eißele and Boldebuck received the award for their Interview „The illness doesn't decide when it's over, I do.“ In the debate, a cancer patient and a professional politician discuss medically assisted suicide.
The first rank was taken by Tina Soliman („Assisted Suicide: Harald Meyer Fights for His Death“, ARD/NDR) in. Third place went to Marius Elfering („So I'll say goodbye today!“, Deutschlandfunk Kultur).