Aktion Deutschland Hilft Launches Fourth Journalism Award Call for Applications
The German aid alliance Aktion Deutschland Hilft has opened applications for its journalism award, offering travel grants to young journalists to report on humanitarian projects. The deadline is December 31, 2025.
Berlin – Aktion Deutschland Hilft, a German alliance of aid organizations, has announced the launch of its fourth national call for applications for the Humanitarian Aid Journalism Award. Young journalists aged 21 to 29 are invited to apply for travel stipends to embed with humanitarian aid projects worldwide. The application period closes on December 31, 2025.
The program aims to support up to six journalists in creating innovative journalistic works on the topic of humanitarian aid. Applicants are encouraged to use cross-media formats, including video, reports, podcasts, and other creative approaches, responding to evolving media consumption patterns and societal developments.
Established in 2015 and supported by the German Federal Foreign Office, the award recognizes journalistic contributions that explore new avenues for reporting on humanitarian assistance. Aktion Deutschland Hilft seeks to raise public awareness and understanding of the critical need for humanitarian relief. Maria Rüther, Secretary General of Aktion Deutschland Hilft, highlighted the award's importance in sensitizing media professionals, particularly amid budget cuts affecting humanitarian aid globally.
Dr. Lars Castellucci, the Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Assistance at the Federal Foreign Office, stated that the travel grants provide a unique opportunity for emerging journalists to gain firsthand experience and convey the impact of aid efforts to their audiences. An independent jury comprising six experts from journalism and humanitarian sectors, including Marion Dilg (Südwestrundfunk), Andrea Kümpfbeck (Augsburger Allgemeine), and Oliver Mayer-Rüth (Bayrischer Rundfunk/ARD), will select the recipients.