Financial situation - Struggle for cost-cutting measures: Grimme Online Award 2024 in danger?
The staff of the Grimme Institute, which has run into financial difficulties, believes that the Grimme Online Award in its current form is in danger. "It currently looks like it will be difficult for us to finance an award ceremony for the Grimme Online Award next year," Aycha Riffi, representative of the Grimme Institute staff on the supervisory board and head of the Grimme Academy, told the German Press Agency on Wednesday.
However, signals from the shareholders' meeting were hopeful: "It is good to know that there are efforts from many sides, including in the shareholders' meeting, to find a solution," said Riffi. The unendowed Grimme Online Award is regarded as the most important award for outstanding online journalism in Germany and is presented in several categories.
A spokesperson for the institute did not wish to comment on the future of the online award and referred to the position of the staff: in a public statement at the beginning of the week, the staff announced that both the competition and the Grimme Online Award ceremony could not take place in their current form in the 24th award year due to the cost-cutting measures. "In view of the relevance of this award in the German media and online world, this is a fatal development," the letter said. Several media outlets had reported.
The competition usually starts on January 15. "This will definitely be postponed because it is not yet clear how it will continue," said Riffi on Wednesday. The employees also regretted the closure of the media education and research departments. "We are doing everything we can to ensure that the rest of our institute's work is not damaged - this also applies to the awards," she emphasized. Work on the Television Prize will also continue, albeit under more difficult conditions. In order to avoid compulsory redundancies, the employees will forego a pay rise in the coming year.
North Rhine-Westphalia's Media Minister and member of the Grimme Institute's shareholders' meeting, Nathanael Liminski, emphasized the importance of the awards in the public perception in an interview with Deutschlandfunk on Tuesday. While there are other institutions in the fields of media research and cultural work, only Grimme stands for "quality awards for journalistic and media products. That is why Grimme must be able to continue to fulfill its role in the future," Liminski told the radio station. "There is a common understanding among the shareholders that the awards have priority for us," he said. No final decision has yet been made on how to proceed.
The Media Institute in Marl, which currently has 13 full-time and 9 part-time positions and an annual budget of over three million euros, had slipped into the red due to higher wage settlements and higher event and energy costs, among other things. A deficit of around 430,000 euros is expected for 2024. The shareholders must therefore decide on massive savings. Liminski told Deutschlandfunk radio where exactly savings will be made is being discussed and determined in an ongoing process.
Deutschlandfunk on the cost-cutting measures at the Grimme Institute
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- The staff of the Grimme Institute, who are currently dealing with financial distress, expressed concerns about the future of the Grimme Online Award due to necessary cost-cutting measures.
- Nathanael Liminski, the Media Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia and a shareholder in the Grimme Institute, emphasized the importance of the awards for maintaining quality in German journalism and media for the future.
- The Grimme Online Award, considered the most significant honor for outstanding online journalism in Germany, might not take place in its current form due to the institute's financial difficulties.
- In an effort to avoid compulsory redundancies, the staff at the Grimme Institute has agreed to forego a wage increase in the coming year.
- The German Press Agency reported that the supervisory board member and head of the Grimme Academy, Aycha Riffi, stated that it would be challenging to finance an award ceremony for the Grimme Online Award in 2024.
- The Media Institute in Marl, which is responsible for the Grimme Online Award, has been experiencing financial challenges due to higher expenses, such as wage settlements and event and energy costs.
Source: www.stern.de
