Association of German Travel Journalists
The Association of German Travel Journalists ( VDRJ ) is the professional association of German-speaking travel journalists.
According to § 3 of the statutes, anyone can become an active member who is working professionally as a journalist , author , blogger , director , producer , cameraman or photographer or in the travel / tourism field at the time of admission . The membership structure is predominantly made up of professional groups that work in terms of content, such as freelance and employed journalists, photographers, bloggers, book authors, PR consultants and press officers.
The VDRJ is divided into a journalists' group and a PR group .
Membership is only granted to journalists who can be shown to have dealt with the subject of travel for several years.
history
The VDRJ was first launched on October 15, 1956 as the Association of German Travel Journalists in Bad Salzuflen and then on October 9, 1957 in Bad Wiessee as the "Association of German Travel Journalists eV (VDRJ)". It is based in Berlin and is entered in the register of associations at the Berlin Association Court. The office of the association is always at the residence of the First President.
Chairman of the Association
- Franz F. Schwarzenstein (founding chairman, head of the press department of the German National Tourist Board). 2nd chairman Ludwig Kramaczyk, editor Frankfurter Neue Presse. 3rd chairman: Dr. Georg Böse, freelance journalist from Stuttgart. 1957
- Kramarczyk, Schwarzenstein, Böse 1960
- Dr. Friedrich Wagner (travel editor FAZ), Peter Gerisch (freelance journalist, Oberstedten / Taunus), Annemarie Hassenkamp (travel editor Stuttgarter Zeitung) 1962
- Dr. Wagner, Annemarie Hassenkamp, Wolfgang Thomas (ChR Hotel-Mosaik) 1964
- Dr. Wagner, Wilhelm Kaup (travel editor WAZ), Wolfgang Thomas 1968
- Kaup, Wagner, Christa Helmschrodt (travel editor Süddeutsche Zeitung) 1974
- Kaup, Helmschrodt, Armin Ganser (travel journalist from Munich) 1978
- Kaup, Armin Ganser, Horst Hachmann (ChR Touristik aktuell) 1980
- Helena Schreiber (Handelsblatt travel editor) for the late Hachmann in 1981
- Armin Ganser, Henno Heintz (ADAC press office), Schreiber 1982
- Armin Ganser, Heintz, Annerose Lohberg-Goelz (freelance travel journalist, Holzgerlingen) 1984
- Armin Ganser, Heintz, Lohberg 1986
- Armin Ganser, heintz, Dieter Wachholz (freelance travel journalist, Munich) 1988
- Rolf Lohberg (Südfunk Stuttgart), Wachholz, Schreiber 1990
- Lohberg, Gerd Dörr (freelance journalist Stuttgart), Schreiber 1992
- Lohberg, Liselotte Nückel (travel editor Badische Latest Nachrichten), Schreiber 1994
- Rodrian, Nückel, Lohberg 1996
- Rodrian, Helmschrodt, Lohberg 1998
- Jürgen Drensek (2000 to 2012)
- Dr. Klaus A. Dietsch (2012 to 2014)
- Rüdiger Edelmann (since 2014)
Mission statement of the VDRJ
The VDRJ aims to be the driving force that ensures the freedom and independence of travel journalism and travel journalism. It promotes the reputation, development and quality of travel journalism and aims to bring together the best minds in the industry for this purpose. According to the VDRJ, travel journalism should be fair, independent, transparent and professional.
Code of Conduct
The members of the VDRJ are subject to a code of conduct. This applies to both journalists and members of the PR group. With this, the association wants to distance itself from "black sheep". Within the VDRJ, the ethics committee takes care of possible misconduct. Its decisions range from a complaint by a member to an expulsion procedure.
Columbus Journalist Awards
The journalist prizes have been awarded regularly since 1976. The Columbus is considered the only independent journalism award for outstanding travel journalism. The VDRJ does not charge a registration fee. The sponsors from the travel industry provide material and cash prizes for the award winners or support the work of the independent and voluntary specialist juries with material contributions. But you have no influence on the awarding of the prize.
Prizes are awarded in the following categories:
- Author award: Texts in print or online publications in the categories: “Best Reportage”, “Special Journalistic Achievement” and “Promotion Prize for Young Journalists Under 30”. - In addition to reports, interviews, portraits, glosses and other styles can also be submitted.
- movie Award
- Radio award
The submissions for the Columbus Prizes are mainly submitted to the relevant editorial offices, but direct applications from authors and producers are also possible. Publications in the appropriate media are accepted for all prizes. This also applies to online publications (e.g. blogs, podcasts, etc.)
In addition, the VDRJ annually awards the honorary prize to personalities who have rendered outstanding services to the development of tourism in Germany or who have accompanied it critically.
Well-known winners of the Columbus Prize
- ADAC - Traffic Advisor (1987)
- Karl Born (2009)
- Manfred Busche (1985)
- Hans Friderichs (1976)
- Hans Glauber (1988)
- Petra Hedorfer (2018)
- Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1998)
- Jost Krippendorf (1977)
- Klaus Laepple (2013)
- Freddie Laker (1980)
- César Manrique (1978)
- Reinhold Messner (2007)
- Horst W. Opaschowski (2011)
- Horst Rahe (2016)
- Runa Travel (2019)
- Josef Staribacher (1981)
- Ury Steinweg (2020)
- Wolfgang Isenberg, Thomas-More-Academy Bensberg (2005)
- Markus Tressel (2017)
- Harald Zeiss (2015)
Meetings
The members meet once a year at different locations for their annual meeting, at which the annual general meeting also takes place.
The regional groups organize information events in the region for their members several times a year.