Medienfachverlag Oberauer GmbH
Europe's most innovative newspaper 2006: De Morgen
Dusseldorf/Frankfurt/Zurich/Salzburg (ots)
In this year Europe's best newspapers come from Belgium, Norway, Finland, Portugal and Spain. 287 newspapers from 26 countries participated in the eighth European Newspaper Award.
As the four main newspaper genres such as national paper, regional paper, local paper and weekly differ considerably, they are awarded by the jury separately so that four chief awards can be presented each year.
Europes best newspapers in 2006 are:
Europe's Best Newspaper Category: National Paper De Morgen, Belgium
Europe's Best Newspaper Category: Regional Paper Bergens Tidende, Norway
Europe's Best Newspaper Category: Local Paper Plus Hufvudstadbsladet, Finland
Europe's Best Newspaper Category: Weekly Expresso, Portugal
Europe's Best Newspaper Judges' Special Recognition Superdeporte, Spain
In this largest newspaper competition in Europe the design as well as the concept are honoured. The European Newspaper Award aims at the improvement of the exchange of information concerning newspaper design and concept within Europe and the contribution of new and creative solutions.
In the results of the eighth competition the trend to tabloid format is documented: three of the main winners are in the tabloid format, two in Berlin format.
The eight members of the jury come from seven different countries: Spain, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Germany. The members are journalists, scientists and designers:
- Prof. Joachim Blum, media consultant, Germany
- Theo Dersjant, Fontys School of Journalism, Tilburg, The
Netherlands,
- Sylvia Egli von Matt, director of MAZ - Swiss Journalist School,
Luzern, Switzerland
- Javier Errea, University Pamplona, Spain,
- Martin Huisman, "De Morgen", Belgium,
- Walter Jensen, "Bergens Tidende", Norway,
- Annette Milz, editor-in-chief "Medium Magazin", Germany,
- Anna Sundkvist, "Östersunds Posten", Sweden, (Jury members don't
judge their own newspaper.)The European Newspaper Award has been founded and is organized by the newspaper designer Norbert Küpper, Meerbusch, Germany. He cooperates with the jornalists' magazines "Medium Magazin", Frankfurt, Germany, "Der Österreichische Journalist", Salzburg, Austria and "Schweizer Journalist", Wilen bei Wil, Switzerland.
The Targets
The competition has established itself quite well as it fulfils various functions:
- Forge of ideas: Publications of the awarded pages in the yearbooks of the competition and on the home page www.newspaperaward.org will encourage creativity and the search for new ideas.
- External effect: Newspapers will report about the awards they have won and, thereby, underline their own high standards. In doing so, they also advertize their own publication.
- Internal effect: The award certificates will certainly be put up in many publishing houses and, thus, motivate the employees.
Awards of Excellence
Awards of Excellence were given to 91 newspapers in 18 countries. A detailed list of all winners is available at www.newspaperaward.org
European Newspaper Congress
The presentation of the awards will take place in April or May 2007 at the "European Newspaper Congress" in the City Hall of Vienna.
Details about the main winners of the eighth competition:
De Morgen, Belgium Europe's Best Newspaper in the category national newspaper.
De Morgen has a circulation of 60.000 and is nationwide published in Belgium. This paper has been changed from Broadsheet to Berlin format. With the new format a very modern and unique page-layout has been introduced. The front page highlights a lot of themes and persons and also on inside pages a lot of innovative ideas can be seen. De Morgen has 70 writers, 6 photographers and 11 layouter.
Jury Statement
The front page alone is a most distinguishing feature with the Belgian newspaper De Morgen and sets it apart from other newspapers the jury has examined. Page one is marked by a much varied layout and a great number of small news elements. Often the masthead is placed near the centre of the page. On inside pages the generous page makeup for double pages is very convincing. Photographic sizes and cuts are exemplary on all pages, service boxes help to structure long articles.
On the whole, with its new layout De Morgen creates a youthful, positive and future-oriented image. More cannot possibly achieved with the means of newspaper design, namely colours, typefaces and photos.
Bergens Tidende, Norway Europe's Best Newspaper in the category regional newspaper.
This newspaper has a circulation of 87.000. It has been changed to tabloid format in September 2006. The jury liked very much the work with white space through all sections of the newspaper. Because of the tabloid format and the white space this newspaper comes close to a daily published magazine. Bergens Tidende has 100 writers, 13 photographers, 15 layouter and 3 designer.
Jury Statement
Bergens Tidende stands out against all other regional papers submitted to the competition by their use of white space - not only in the culture, sport or fashion section, but also and most consciously on news pages. Because of its tabloid format and the generous white space this newspaper looks very much like a magazine. In future we will certainly see more of those newspapers in this North European style.
Hufvudstadsbladet, Finland Europe's Best newspaper, category local plus.
Hufvudstadsbladet is published in Finland, however in Swedish language. Two third of the circulation is concentrated in the Helsinfors metropolitain area, but one third is sold all over Finland. So Hufvudstadsbladet can be named a local, regional and nationwide published newspaper. To mention this unique situation the name of the category of the competition is "local plus". The newspaper has a circulation of 50.000 copies. The circulation raised slightly since the conversion to the Tabloid format in the year 2004. Hufvudstadsbladet has 52 journalists, 4 photographers and 8 layouter.
Jury Statement
Hufvudstadsbladet is a Scandinavian newspaper at its best: Their main focus is on functionality, which means clarity, visual exactitude and perfect readability. Especially as regards their reader guidance, Hufvudstadsbladet is extraordinary: New sections are opened with a larger section head and a gallery with brief news in the masthead area. Their design exudes modernity as well as relaxation. It is certainly optimally geared towards their readers.
Expresso, Portugal Europe's Best Newspaper in the category weekly newspaper.
Expresso is published in Portugal and has a circulation of 130.000. It's a typical weekly newspaper. The paper is divided in two sections: politic and business. Expresso has 75 writers, 13 photographers and 13 layouter.
Jury Statement
Expresso's concept is to inform the readers about recent und future events: What happened in the past week and what is going to happen in the coming week? Sectional headlines are: politics, education, reportage, science, media, sport - just to name a few examples. Two additional magazines complete the range of information offered to the reader: "actual" provides a survey of exhibitions, theatre, music, books, TV, and cinema; the glossy magazine "Única" deals with fashion, lifestyle and travelling.
Superdeporte, Spain Judges' Special Recognition
Superdeporte is a local sport newspaper in tabloid format. The newspaper is published in Valencia, Spain. Circulation 2004: 12.893, Circulation 2006: 13.009. Superdeporte has 32 writers, 5 photographers and 6 layouter.
Jury Statement
The sports newspaper is marked by its attention to detail, since each article is added with extra information like facts, tables, figures and citations, which in turn fill the readers with anything they could possibly take in about local sports activities. Should anyone be of the opinion that local sport journalism is boring or that news on local sports are not read, they would be well advised to subscribe to Superdeporte. There is no better way to report sports events than in Superdeporte's creative, exciting and stimulating articles.
More information: Norbert Küpper Büro für Zeitungsdesign Gutenbergstrasse 4 40670 Meerbusch phone: 02159 911615 mail: nkuepper@zeitungsdesign.de homepage: www.newspaperaward.org
Contact:
Johann Oberauer
phone +43 664 2216643
E-Mail: johann.oberauer@oberauer.com