The 22. Alternative Media Award goes to Zeitenspiegel author Jan Rübel this year. The jurors awarded him the prize in the „Power“ category for his reportage „So close, yet so far,“ in which he depicts the system of workshops for people with disabilities.
„The perspectives of people with disabilities are at the center of his reporting,“ the jury said about Jan Rübel in the magazine of Frankfurter Rundschau published story. „He lets them have their say, listens to them, gives their stories space.“ And: „Here he combines the watchdog function that we journalists have with the participation function. A journalistic standpoint, which could be seen as unfashionable in these mainstream times.“
The Alternative Media Award is in five categories divided. „258 applications for the 2021 competition, more than ever before, show the great interest of dedicated media professionals in the Alternative Media Prize, especially in difficult times,“ said competition coordinator Peter Lokk.
The Alternative Media Prize has been honoring journalists since 2000 who address topics with new approaches or across multiple media. Submissions that critically examine societal problems, expose media misconduct, and cover neglected topics are explicitly encouraged. There are no limits on presentation styles, formats, or subject matter. The competition entries come from both non-commercial and established media outlets that unconventionally adopt new approaches.