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The “Hong Kong Diaries” project of FreeTech - Axel Springer Academy of Journalism and Technology has been recognized at the European Newspaper Online Award.

The team of young journalists won in the innovation category "Multimedia Storytelling".

The reason given was: “How do you get authentic voices from the city despite the pandemic and massively restricted freedom of the press?

The reporters gain the trust of citizens via encrypted channels, develop unusual research methods so as not to endanger their protagonists, turn the material into a startling YouTube documentary and eight multimedia diaries, which cast a spell over you with their immediacy and special storytelling.

It's impressive that this project comes from a journalism school.

A pioneering approach. "

With submissions from 164 editorial teams from 25 countries, the award is one of the most important of its kind in Europe.

"We are incredibly pleased about this award," says Marc Thomas Spahl, Director of Journalism Training at the Axel Springer media group, to which WELT also belongs.

"And we also take it as an incentive to keep looking with our young reporters where freedom is at risk."

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At the same time, a group of young tech experts are now adding the “Hong Kong Diaries” to the interactive map “Map the Movement”, which tells the story of the protests.

The feature marks the first collaboration between tech students and journalism students at the new FreeTech - Academy of Journalism and Technology.

The 3D animated map shows how massive the protests were and how they evolved from a demonstration against an extradition law to a city-wide movement.

In this way, users can scroll through the protests from start to finish and get a precise overview and lots of background information.

Local politician Clara Cheung is one of the participants in the "Hong Kong Diaries"

Source: WORLD / private

"Seen globally, the greatest threat to free and liberal life is China and its surveillance state," said Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner.

The combination of economic and military power, increasing prosperity and a totalitarian state have a seductive effect even on many people in the West.

No idea is more challenging for freedom in the 21st century than the Chinese model.

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“It is all the more important that we look closely.

That's what the Hong Kong Diaries do.

We get to know people whose lives the Chinese surveillance state is increasingly trying to take over.

The good news is: you are fighting back!

The journalists at the FreeTech Academy listen to the people and document carefully.

This is what distinguishes good journalism.

I am proud of the project. "

As part of the project, the activist "Rebel" reports on her everyday life in Hong Kong

Source: Hong Kong Diaries / Axel Springer

"FreeTech" is Axel Springer's new training institution for young journalists and tech talents.

Under one roof there is still the journalism school, the previous Axel Springer Academy, and now also a tech program in which students from the renowned CODE University of Applied Sciences use and expand their technological skills at Axel Springer as working students.

Both programs are interlinked in many places in order to lay the foundations for close cooperation between journalists and tech experts.

At the end of the two-year journalist training course, you have obtained the editor's certificate.

Studies at CODE are completed with a state-recognized bachelor's degree.

After their training, all participants have very good prospects in Europe's leading digital publisher.