Association of Motor Journalists
The Association of Motor Journalists e. V. (VdM) is a professional organization for motor and mobility journalists. It was founded on October 16, 1952 and is based in Berlin .
Today the VdM is the largest professional organization in Europe for motor journalists of all media and in the communication area of the automotive and supplier industries. It would like to represent its members in accordance with the code of the German Press Council and take a position on professional issues in motor and mobility journalism and on current issues from the automotive industry, traffic safety and traffic policy .
tasks
The aim of the association is to improve working conditions for motor journalists and to promote communication between the automotive industry, science and research on the one hand, and journalists on the other. Further tasks and goals are the professional training of the association members and the promotion of the next generation of journalists. The association watches over the honorable professional practice of its members, works with similar associations at home and abroad and promotes the professional welfare institution, which is available to all motor and traffic journalists in need.
structure
The association is divided into six regional groups.
The annual meetings of the VdM members take place at different locations in Germany: The annual general meetings of the VdM and the welfare organization as well as the ceremony for the award of the “Golden VdM Diesel Ring” are an integral part of the event. As a rule, a specialist congress on current industry topics is integrated into the conference.
Members
The association currently has around 430 members. According to the statutes, full members can become: "People who deal professionally with motor and / or mobility topics and publish them in print or electronic media, as well as employees of topic-related press offices." For people who are interested in the topic, but who meet the criteria for If you do not fulfill a regular membership, there is a corresponding membership. Sponsoring membership is open to natural and legal persons under private and public law who are directly or indirectly connected to motor or traffic journalism or who support the tasks and goals of the association for other reasons.
The association is headed by a four-person board (chairman, executive chairman, treasurer and secretary). This body is expanded to form the full board, which also includes the heads of the six regional districts and the chairman of the association's welfare institution. The work is done on a voluntary basis in all cases.
Association magazine
Der Motorjournalist is the association's magazine, which appears every three months. Among other things, it contains articles on technical innovations and aspects of road safety, deals with professional issues and the personal details of the industry. The first edition appeared in March 1953 under the name Der Motolist. A year later the magazine got its current name.
Honors
Diesel ring
The Golden Diesel Ring , which has been awarded since 1955, is considered to be one of the oldest and most coveted road safety awards . The name of the ring made of solid gold goes back to a piece of steel that was cut off from Rudolf Diesel's first test engine from 1893/1895. It was given as a gift to the Association of Motor Journalists for the purpose of incorporating it into a ring "which is to be awarded annually to those people who have made special contributions to improving road safety or reducing the consequences of accidents."
Johny Rozendaal clock
With the Johny Rozendaal watch, the association annually honors a personality for outstanding services to motor journalism. The prize has been awarded since 1959 and its name goes back to the Dutchman Johny Rozendaal (1877–1955), one of the first motor journalists and protagonist of the reconciliation between Germans and Dutch after the Second World War. Rozendaal's widow Frieda donated the gold pocket watch from her husband's estate to the VdM with the request that it regularly be loaned to a motor journalist who has made special contributions to this branch of journalism; membership in an association is and was not a requirement.
Welfare institution of the VdM e. V.
The independent association “Welfare Institution of the VdM e. V. “was founded to support needy motor journalists or their survivors. If necessary, this happens regardless of their membership in the VdM. The association is based in Ulm.