2023 The 3rd Hinzpeter Awards

Announcement of Winners in 4 Categories Led by Inside Russia: Putin’s War at Home

▲ The World at a Crossroads Award (grand prize) winner: Inside Russia: Putin's War at Home

▲ Award for News: The Battle of Bakhmut

▲ Award for Features: Russian Soft Power in The CAR

▲ Four journalists led by Volodymyr Shevchenko received the May Gwangju (Lifetime Achievement) Award for their on-the-ground coverage of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear plant explosion.

- Ceremony details:

  Date: November 8, 2023 (Wednesday)

  Venue: National Assembly Library Auditorium

  Prizes: USD 10,000 and trophy for winners of each category

On September 13 (Tuesday) at 11 a.m., the Hinzpeter Awards Organizing Committee convened a news conference at the May 18 Foundation Memory Storage to announce the winners of the four categories (three competitive and one non-competitive) of the 2023 Hinzpeter Awards, the third edition of its kind.

Inside Russia: Putin’s War at Home, which told the internal narratives of Russia following the onset of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, won the grand prize of The World at a Crossroads Award. The Award for News went to The Battle of Bakhmut, a detailed report from August 2022 on Bakhmut, southeastern Ukraine's most treacherous battleground in the war. And the Award for Features went to Russian Soft Power in The CAR, a piece on the hazards of public opinion manipulation by exposing the brutal actions of Russia's Wagner Group in the Central African Republic.

The May Gwangju (Lifetime Achievement) Award honored four Ukrainian journalists from Central TV in Ukraine led by Vladimir Shevchenko, who provided on-the-ground coverage of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear plant catastrophe.

The awards ceremony is on November 8 (Wednesday) at the National Assembly Library Auditorium in Seoul, Korea. The winner of each category will receive prize money of USD 10,000 and a trophy. The host city of the event's venue alternates annually between Seoul in odd-numbered years and Gwangju in even-numbered years. The winners will give lectures in both cities.

The Hinzpeter Awards are Korea's first honors for international journalism that recognize video journalists who document history on the frontlines for the advancement of democracy, human rights, and peace. In May 1980, video journalist Jürgen Hinzpeter exposed to the world the tragic massacre of Koreans by the military dictatorship in Gwangju, attracting international sympathy and solidarity. To commemorate his spirit, the awards were founded in 2021. The Korea Video Journalist Association (KVJA), led by President Rha Jun-young, and the May 18 Foundation, chaired by Won Sun-seok, jointly host the event, with support from Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Kang Gi-jung).

Ahmed Assar, chairperson of the Hinzpeter Awards Judging Committee and Reuters' chief editor in video and photography for Asia, said, "Journalism is a noble profession, one that carries with it great responsibility," adding, " The stories we tell, the information we disseminate, and the truth we uncover have the power to shape our world and inspire change. let us also reaffirm our commitment to the values that guide us—integrity, accuracy, and the unwavering pursuit of truth." He also expressed empathy for the risks journalists take to tell the truth to the world, thanking both the winners and journalists globally.

"Just as the 'truth of May 18' conveyed by Hinzpeter awakened the awareness of and determination for democratization among Koreans, we hope that the journalists we recognize, like Hinzpeter, and their reports serve as the catalyst for new international solidarity," KVJA President Rha said. "Through the works winning the Hinzpeter Awards, we aspire to reflect on democracy, human rights, peace, and freedom of the press and find momentum for their stronger advancement."

"Thanks to the efforts of journalists reporting the truth at the risk to their lives from various parts of the world, democracy and human rights are making further progress," foundation chairperson Won said. "Just as Gwangju in May 1980 became known to the world thanks to the courageous acts of journalists risking their lives, we are grateful for the efforts and bravery of journalists worldwide."

Georg Wilfried Schmidt, ambassador-designate of the Germany Embassy in Seoul, cited examples from Germany and Korea and said, "Whenever those in power commit acts of violence, they check for witnesses and seal off the location," adding, "I highly value the courageous actions of Koreans in 1980 and their heightened awareness of democracy at crucial moments against injustice and oppression. I am grateful for the international journalism award named in honor of the German video journalist Hinzpeter, who captured the tragic events in Gwangju on May 18, 1980."

Submissions for the competition were accepted from all over the world from June 1 to July 21. Following the first round of judging from July 24 to August 16, eight works were selected. The second round was from August 18 to August 24, and in a meeting on the final decision, the winners of The World at A Crossroads, news, and features awards were determined. For the non-competitive May Gwangju Award, the finalists were named after a September 4 evaluation based on candidates identified through the committee's evaluation.

The international call for entries garnered submissions from video and freelance journalists affiliated with broadcasters from 14 countries. They included the BBC, Guardian, and Channel 4 News of the UK; ARD Mediath and RTL of Germany; PBS and Current Time of the US; Vice News of USA; CNN Indonesia; Reuters Peru; Arte of France; New Naratif of Malaysia; European Radio for Belarus of Poland; and Al Jazeera English of Qatar. In Korea, journalists from KBS Daejeon, Jeju MBC, and SBS submitted news, features, and special reports.

Additionally, the finalists including the award winners of the competitive categories will be showcased on the awards' official website and during the Gwangju ACE Fair, an Asian content event in Gwangju prepared by the Hinzpeter Awards Organizing Committee and Korea Radio Promotion Association.

※ Attachment

  1. Overview of 2023 Hinzpeter Awards—1 copy

  2. Information on award winners and recipients (photos, video captures, and introductions)—1 copy

  - Videos including the award-winning works can be watched on the website (www.hinzpeterawards.com)

  3. Decision statement on award-winning works—1 copy

  4. List of finalists in competitive category—1 copy

※ An English-language news release is scheduled to come after September 14.

※ Inquiries:

- Hinzpeter Awards Organizing Committee: Oh Ju-ah, coordinator / e-mail: hinzpeterawards@gmail.com

https://www.hinzpeterawards.com/

[Attachment 1] Overview of 2023 Hinzpeter Awards

■ 4 awards categories: 3 competitive, 1 non-competitive

- “The World at a Crossroads” Award (grand prize for news and features)

- News (news footage)

- Features (investigative, reporting, and documentary footage)

- May Gwangju (contributors to democracy, human rights, and peace / non-competitive)

■ Key dates

■ Organizers & sponsors

- Co-organizers: May 18 Foundation & Korea Video Journalist Association

- Sponsor: Gwangju Metropolitan City

■ Past winners: Hinzpeter Awards website

- https://www.hinzpeterawards.com/hs/winners/winners_2022.do

Press releases:

- Want to know about the Hinzpeter Awards and the man behind it?

- International call for third Hinzpeter Awards starts June 1 (May 25, 2023)

- Behind the scenes of second Hinzpeter Awards ceremony (October 26–29, 2022)

- Seminar on establishing Hinzpeter Awards (August 29, 2019)

■ About the Jürgen Hinzpeter

Jürgen Hinzpeter joined the company in 1963 as a video reporter for the TV station of Hamburg, which is the first public broadcast station of West Germany. In early 1967, he was assigned to Hong Kong, the only East Asian branch of the company. He was injured in Saigon in the spring of 1969 while covering the Vietnam War. After that, he moved to the Tokyo branch and worked as a Tokyo correspondent for 17 years from 1973 to 1989.

While serving as a Japanese correspondent, he visited Korea several times. Just before the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising, he also covered an opposition leader under house arrest. On May 19, when the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising was underway, he entered Gwangju on the morning of the 20^th after preparing to infiltrate Gwangju in Japan. By the 23^rd, he infiltrated Korea and took risks to cover the scene to capture the horrors of Gwangju. At that time, he hade never seen a scene terrible as the Gwangju Democratic Uprising, which was unusual for a reporter, and even when filming, he stopped filming with tears several times. The film sent by reporter Hinzpeter was immediately reported to various countries through Germany’s the first public broadcast station, and in September of that year, it was produced and broadcast as a documentary titled Korea at the Crossroads. In November 1986, the end of the 5^th Republic of Korea, he was beaten by the undercovers during a protest coverage at Gwanghwamun Intersection and seriously injured in his neck and spine.

In 2004, he was temporarily in critical condition due to heart disease, he expressed his desire to be buried in the May 18 cemetery in Mangwol-dong in Gwangju, and related organizations such as the May 18 bereaved family and Gwangju Metropolitan City promoted his award and saddle of honorary citizenship. Having recovered his health dramatically, he later attended the 25^th anniversary ceremony of the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising and continued his activities by writing memoirs. On May 19, 2005, the Korea Film Writers Association awarded him a special award.

On January 25, 2016, he passed away in Germany at the age of 80, and on May 6, 2016, a memorial stone containing parts of his body, including nails and hair, was installed at the cemetery in Mangwol-dong, Gwangju, South Korea.

■ About the Hinzpeter Awards

The Hinzpeter Awards are the first international journalism honors in South Korea that recognize video journalists who document human rights and justice on the frontlines. They honor the legacy of the late Jürgen Hinzpeter, a video journalist who in May 1980 exposed the military dictatorship-led massacre of civilians in Gwangju to the world, attracting and reinforcing international solidarity. Since 2021, the May 18 Foundation and Korea Video Journalist Association have presented the awards under the sponsorship of Gwangju Metropolitan City.

■ About the May 18 Foundation

The May 18 Foundation is a non-profit and non-official Foundation established (1994) with donations from the victims of the May 18 Democratic Uprising and from Koreans both in and outside the country. Foundation has carried out projects in order to execute the Five Principles which was agreed on in 1993 by Uprising-related individuals and organizations to realize the following: Truth Ascertainment, Punishment of Those Responsible, Restoration of Tarnished Reputations, State-level Indemnification and Reparation, and Commemoration Activities.

①    Commemoration

②    Research, Education, Culture

③    Fellowships

④    Truth Discovery

⑤    PRs and Publications Projects

⑥    Human Rights, Literature, Press Awards

⑦    Domestic & International Solidarity

The May 18 Foundation has worked to spread the May 18 Spirit and to promote democracy and human rights.

- Registered the records of the May 18 Democratic Uprising as UNESCO's Memory of the World (2011)

- Granted Special Consultative Status by the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (2021)

Our mission is to

①    Continue to investigate the truth, collect data, research, and publish the truth of May 18

②    Deliver the value of May 18 spirit to youth

③    Strive to realize the Community of Civil Autonomy

④    Enhance solidarity for human rights and peace across the border

⑤     Inherit the May 18 Spirit of equality and sharing

⑥    Conduct citizen-centered academic, research, education, culture, and international solidarity projects

https://518.org/

■ About the Korea Video Journalist Association

The Korea Video Journalist Association was founded in 1987 with the will of video journalists to properly protect and develop the democracy and press freedom that our citizens won. The Korea Video Journalist Association has carried out various activities to promote freedom of video coverage and truth reporting, protect viewers' right to know and the human rights of journalists, and enhance the rights and capabilities of video journalists.

※ President: Rha Jun-Young (MBC, 2023~)

- Major activities

1. Video Journalist of the Month Award

2. Korea Video Journalist Award

3. Training for nationwide video journalists

4. 1^st and 2^nd Hinzpeter Awards

http://tvnews.or.kr/

[Attachment 2] Award details & recipients

The World at a Crossroads Award

Inside Russia: Putin’s War at Home

- Broadcast by ITV / PBS Frontline (USA) on October 27, 2022 (duration: 1:04:04)

- Awarded to a team of four members:

   Gesbeen Mohammad (Based in UK, nationality kept confidential for her protection)

   Aleksandra Odynova (Russia)

   Vasily Kolotilov (Russia)

   Yuri Mikhailovich (Pseudonym; real name and face kept confidential for protection, Russia)

After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the documentary Inside Russia: Putin’s War at Home was selected as the winner of The World at a Crossroads Award. This work contains stories that include criticism of the Vladimir Putin regime, opposition movements to the war on Ukraine, calls for the transparent disclosure of information related to the conflict, and demand for freedom of the press and expression. The reporting team documented conversations with people in Russia before the war until its outbreak and up until Putin gave his mobilization order.

Amid the war, people in Russia face prison sentences for making contact with foreign media. As of March 4, 2022, a law signed by Putin known as the “fake news” law criminalized dissemination of "blatantly false" information about Russian military operations, with the penalty a maximum of three years in prison. If the spread of false information is judged to have serious consequences for the country, the sentence could be up to 15 years. Russian authorities have weaponized this law to violently suppress, arrest, detain, and torture those who oppose the war, criticize Putin's mobilization of the populace, or demand information on wartime casualties, branding them as "extremists against patriotism."

Considering these circumstances, the investigative team assumed the risks and sought individuals in Russia resisting threats to democracy, human rights, and peace, capturing their voices on video to share with the world. The judging panel praised this report for vividly documenting and exposing the untold stories within Russia that were hidden due to the ban on foreign correspondents from reporting or withdrawing from the area. The jury also recognized that the dedication and journalistic spirit of the four video journalists, who like their sources took on the risk of arrest and punishment for their reporting, resonated with the spirit of journalism exhibited by Hinzpeter in Gwangju in May 1980. As a result, they were named this year's winner of The World at a Crossroads Award.

■ Award for News

  The Battle of Bakhmut

  - Broadcast by Vice News (US) on December 2, 2022, at 8:03 p.m.

  - Awarded to three-member team

    : Ben C. Solomon (US)

    : Adam Desiderio (US)

    : Julia Kochetova (Ukraine)

Situated in southeastern Ukraine, Bakhmut in August 2022 was the most dangerous battleground of the war in Ukraine. The reporters including Ben C. Solomon stayed in the city for two weeks amid continuous Russian artillery and air strikes, documenting the harrowing realities of war through the experiences of Ukrainian soldiers and remaining civilians.

The report shows the activities of Ukraine's International Legion, people seeking refuge in underground bunkers, firefighters defending the city with scarce resources, a 8-year-old girl left in the city, and Russia's merciless assaults on educational institutions and medical facilities. This pivotal documentation exposed the falsehoods of a war that professes to champion peace and humanitarian values while perpetrating atrocities.

The judging panel lauded the report for its comprehensive portrayal of the war's impact on civilian life, highlighting the resilience and hope of the Ukrainian people. They gave it high marks for its empathetic storytelling that upholds a viewer's right to be informed, filming techniques that vividly depict war's grim realities, objective reporting underscored by sharp questions and analysis, and challenges faced by the reporters who navigated artillery and air strikes while interviewing Bakhmut residents. The jury said such fearless coverage is reminiscent of the ethos of Hinzpeter, who covered Gwangju in May 1980 despite the perils of martial law and suppression.

■ Award for Features

Russian Soft Power in the CAR

- Broadcasted by Arte (France) on June 4, 2022, at 24:25

- Awarded to two reporters:

: Carol Valade (France)

: Clément Di Roma (France)

In 2018, several reporters were tragically killed while investigating the Russian private military company Wagner Group in the Central African Republic (CAR). Picking up where their colleagues left off, French freelance video journalists Carol Valade and Clément Di Roma took on this daunting challenge and released Russian Soft Power in The CAR. Their August 2022 report scrutinized the violence and abuse perpetrated by Wagner within the country.

Despite gaining independence from France in 1960, the CAR has suffered from civil unrest since 2012. With the second-lowest score in the United Nations Development Index, this country is where Wagner's actions are conspicuous. Braving significant risks, the two journalists delivered in-depth, on-the-ground coverage to spotlight Russia and its proxy Wagner, whose escalating influence both politically and socially within the CAR stood out. The report incisively captures the group's strategy of using cultural and psychological tactics to hasten the Russification of CAR society.

In 2021, the UN Security Council received disturbing field reports indicating that Wagner led battles against rebels and committed heinous acts such as civilian killings, rape, instant executions, and torture. Valade and Di Roma adeptly conveyed the complex emotions of CAR citizens facing these harsh realities.

Their coverage also criticized Russia's exploitation of the group to tap the CAR's abundant subterranean resources, further exacerbating tensions rooted in the African country's colonial past, religious discord, and tribal disputes. The report also cast a discerning eye on France's enduring imperialistic tendencies, emphasizing its strategy of evading political responsibility in the CAR while keenly coveting its economic riches, leaving the latter entrenched in its conflicted state.

“This report sharply illustrates how global power dynamics can distort and jeopardize democracy in more vulnerable nations. It shines for its critical mind and dedication to underscoring and disseminating pressing democratic concerns in regions that global media frequently neglects,” the judging panel said. The work resonates profoundly with the ethos of the Hinzpeter Awards.

The panel also extolled the report's balanced perspective on Russia's growing political ties with the CAR, its cultural-psychological penetration, and critique of France’s ambivalent stance, calling the latter the root of the CAR's issues, especially its inclination to shirk political accountability while tenaciously maintaining its economic grip.

■ May Gwangju Award

Four Ukrainian video journalists who covered 1986 Chernobyl nuclear plant explosion

-Central TV in Ukraine (former Soviet Union)

: Volodymyr Shevchenko (1929–1987, Ukraine: former Soviet Union)

: Yuriy Bordakov (b. 1946, Ukraine: former Soviet Union)

: Viktor Kripchenko (1948–2019, Ukraine: former Soviet Union)

: Volodymyr Taranchenko (1933–2019, Ukraine: former Soviet Union)

In 1986, four Central TV of Ukraine journalists—Volodymyr Shevchenko, Yuriy Bordakov, Viktor Kripchenko, and Volodymyr Taranchenko—braved the hazards of radiation to chronicle the Chernobyl disaster. Their determination to capture the truth of this catastrophe earned them the prestigious May Gwangju Award, a lifetime achievement honor in a non-competitive category. The judges said their brave endeavors reflected the award's core mission to “shed light on the truth by remembering and honoring.”

These dedicated journalists bore witness to the devastating explosion of Reactor 4 at the plant and diligently covered its aftermath over four arduous months, starting from the night the disaster unfurled on April 26, 1986, at 1:23 a.m.

In response to the worst nuclear catastrophe in recorded human history, an estimated 600,000 firefighters, soldiers, and civilians were mobilized over a four-month period. Known as the Battle of Chernobyl, this massive cleanup was carried out with little to no guidance on radiation safety or appropriate protective gear. Amid this backdrop, the journalists, with only their integrity and cameras as shields, documented the harrowing events that followed. They paid dearly with their health as Shevchenko was diagnosed with lung cancer from radiation exposure and his colleagues also suffered from prolonged ailments from the same cause.

Despite agonizing fever caused by his lung cancer, Shevchenko felt a deep sense of duty to inform the world about the truth of Chernobyl. He edited the footage into the documentary Chernobyl - Chronicle of Difficult Weeks, which was completed in November 1986. Soviet authorities demanded 94 revisions of his work and banned its general screening, but he fought to expose the truth that he and his colleagues documented. Eventually, the documentary began limited screenings in Ukraine in early March of the following year. Sadly, Shevchenko died a month after his work's release.

The relentless documentation of this team left a significant historical record, transcending time and generation to expose the reality of a nuclear catastrophe. The captured footage condemned the bureaucratic and secretive nature of the Soviet system, which was blamed for the disaster and its aftermath, and the collapse of the society created by the Soviet dictatorship. The journalists’ efforts to uncover the truth not only exposed the Soviet government's media control but also contributed to the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union. The poignant images of the "bio-robots" (also known as liquidators) cleaning up radioactive debris on the roof of Reactor 3 and civilians working to mitigate the disaster site were a reminder that ordinary people are the true force behind overcoming human calamities and propelling history forward.

Documentation, analysis, and memory of historical events and accidents greatly influence the identification of the causes of future problems, remediation, and preventive measures. As controversy lingers over the handling of the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, visual testimonies from Chernobyl stand as enduring lessons and provide valuable insights.

[Attachment 3] Decision statement on award-winning works

I hope this letter finds you all well.

I am writing to express my gratitude to serve as chairman of the judging committee of the Hinzpeter award this year. It was with great excitement and enthusiasm that I accepted this role and I am truly honored to be a part of this esteemed committee.

Having worked in the television news industry for over 25 years, I have witnessed first-hand the incredible talent that goes into producing exceptional video news reports.

The Hinzpeter awards play a vital role in recognizing and celebrating the outstanding work of professionals in our industry.

The judging committee fully understood the importance of maintaining objectivity and fairness throughout the evaluation process. We also understood the risks the journalists took day in day out to tell the world these stories. The judging committee approached this task with the utmost professionalism and integrity, carefully reviewing each submission based on the established criteria and guidelines provided by the committee. Each judge ensured that each nomination received a fair and thorough assessment.

The World at a Crossroads' Award goes to Gesbeen Mohammad’s Inside Russia: Putin’s War at Home. The judges cited the work as a compelling and strong.

Benjamin Solomon’s The Battle of Bakhmut wins the Award for News. Judges said that Solomon’s story was “moving, clever storytelling piece of the war that depicts the civilians' resilience in strong characters.”

Carol Valade wins the Award for Feature for “Russian Soft Power in The CAR” for its role in exposing the dangers manipulation of public opinion.

I would like to thank my fellow judges for the collaboration, insights and expertise they brought to the judging process. I would like to thank organizing committee for their help in making the process smooth.

I would also like to thank journalists on the frontlines across the globe, be it a war zone, a protest or uncovering corruption or human rights atrocities. Your work in making sure that these stories are told to the world is invaluable and remains key to a better world.

Once again, I want to express my deep appreciation for entrusting me with this responsibility.

Ahmed Assar

September 4th, 2023

[Attachment 4] List of finalists in competitive category

■ News

■ Features