The first globally-oriented journalism prize aims to set an example to motivate journalists all over the world and to strengthen them in their work. In the 21st century, journalism’s role as an indispensable critical institution for democracy is continually and everywhere being put to the test: freedom of the press is limited, the media is politically controlled, economically instrumentalised, and digitally fragmented. The price for this is high: in many places the loss of a plural and independent representation of events or developments in the media is impacting upon the formation of free and critical opinion. This makes courageous and innovative reporters all the more important, in all societies and countries. It is for them that the True Story Award was created.

The central idea of the prize is to supplement and broaden the predominantly Western view of the world with other perspectives. Due to the nature of media coverage, readers in North America and Europe have a view of the world different to those in the Arab world, Africa and Asia. The prize encourages the broadening of our field of vision through the voices of reporters from different countries.

The True Story Award has no editorial, economic or ideological agenda. It simply hopes to recognise first-class journalism.

The True Story Award is the first global journalism prize. Its aim is to make reporters’ voices known beyond the borders of their home countries, and in doing so to increase the diversity of perspectives offered in the media. The True Story Award will be conferred by an independent foundation and honours reporters writing in 10 languages, who have distinguished themselves by the depth of their research, the quality of their journalism and its social relevance. Fifty jury members from 29 countries will select the 36 best texts of the year and then select a winner. The winner will receive 25 000 Swiss francs in prize money, while all the 36 nominees (one per text) will be invited to the True Story Festival in Bern, Switzerland.

The True Story Award is open to all journalists anywhere in the world who produce written reportage. Works can be submitted in the following 10 languages:

Works written in other languages can be submitted in three categories:

Europe
World I
World II

Texts in these categories can be entered in English (World II also in Hindi) and go directly to the jury.
Submissions in the original language must include a summary in English of at least 400 words. In this case, native-speaking readers from our network will review the original text and decide on a translation into English for evaluation by the jury.

The True Story Award will be given to the kind of reportage that demonstrates the following qualities: a narrative account of real events, in-depth research on location, rigorously researched facts and linguistic richness. Pure essays, biographies and historical reconstructions are ineligible (although of course something of these can be present in all reportage). The texts’ length should be between 3 000 and 17 000 words.

The jury will evaluate the following aspects of the texts:

• Research (depth, time expenditure, country-specific circumstances)
• Quality (craft, truthfulness, narrative elegance)
• Impact (social, political and economic relevance)

Submissions are open until November 5, 2023. Texts published in print or online between 1.9.2022 and 30.9.2023 are eligible. They may have been published in daily or weekly newspapers, magazines or on websites. Re-published texts, books and manuscripts are ineligible.

Texts must be submitted online. Then the three best texts per language/region will be selected by the relevant jury by the end of 2023. There are 12 language/region juries in all: one for each of the 9 languages represented, and three for texts from other languages translated into English.

Texts must be submitted by their authors.
The submission deadline is Sunday, November 5, 2023, at 12 pm (noon, CEST).

The underlying core of the award is the gathering of journalists from all over the world and the exchange with audience in Bern. The 36 nominees selected by the local Jurys (one person per nominated text ) will be invited to present their work at the True Story Festival from May 24 to 26, 2024.

The main jury will then select the three best texts from the 36 nominees, who will be rewarded as follows:

1. prize: 25 000 francs.
2. prize: 15 000 francs. 
3. prize: 10 000 francs.

The award ceremony will be held as part of a festival on Friday, May 24, 2024, in Bern, Switzerland.

The True Story Foundation aims to promote the creation of non-fiction longforms and thus the telling of true stories worldwide. In doing so, it wants to make a contribution to society reaching beyond national borders.

PURPOSE OF THE FOUNDATION:

The True Story Foundation, based in Bern, Switzerland, supports long form journalism with non-fictional content.

The True Story Foundation organises the True Story Award.

The True Story Foundation may develop other activities aiming to promote independent and high-quality journalism worldwide.

The True Story Foundation does not seek profit and has a purely humanitarian character and does not pursue any commercial purposes. It is tax-exempt for residents of Switzerland.

The organs of the Foundation are the Board of Trustees and the Auditors.

The Board of Trustees entrusts the administration of the True Story Award to a curator.

ADVISORY BOARD:

Svetlana Alexievich (Belarus), Nobel Prize laureate in literature 2015
Giovanni De Mauro (Italy), Editor-in-Chief Internazionale
John R. MacArthur (USA), Publisher Harper’s
Susanne Wille (Switzerland), Head of Culture SRF (Swiss Radio and Television Broadcasting Company)
Stefan Willeke (Germany), Deputy Editor-in-Chief Die Zeit
Armin Wolf (Austria), TV-Anchor ORF (Austrian Radio and Television Broadcasting Company)

PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES:

Ernst A. Widmer, Ebmatingen ZH, Switzerland

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES:

Giorgio Albisetti, Muri b. Bern, Switzerland
Giovanna Battagliero, Bern, Switzerland
Dr. Andrea Rascher, Zürich, Switzerland
Peter Stämpfli, Muri b. Bern, Switzerland

CURATOR:

Daniel Puntas Bernet, Bern, Switzerland

True Story Foundation

c/o Muntwyler, von May Notare
Monbijoustrasse 30
CH-3001 Bern

Switzerland

«Whoever undertakes to say what is, cannot but tell a story.» Hannah Arendt