ARI RATH PRIZE FOR CRITICAL JOURNALISM

Exile, flight, expulsion

The „Ari Rath Prize for Critical Journalism“ was established on the basis of a private initiative to honour journalists who have made outstanding contributions to critical reporting on flight, expulsion and asylum that is committed to upholding human rights, in the spirit of the renowned former editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, who died in January 2017.

A jury of experts, chaired by Gertraud Auer Borea d’Olmo – the long-serving former Secretary-General of the Bruno Kreisky Forum for International Dialogue and a close confidante of Ari Rath – unanimously Renata Schmidtkunz and Hans Rauscher nominated for the 2026 „Ari Rath Prize for Critical Journalism“.

Greeting: Sabine Kroissenbrunner, Secretary General of the Kreisky Forum
Statement by the jury and laudator: Alexandra Föderl-Schmid, Journalist

Introducer: Heide Schmidt, politician and lawyer, former Third President of the National Council
Prize winner Renata Schmidtkunz, Journalist, presenter, editor and filmmaker

Laudator Ferdinand Lacina, politician, former Federal Minister of Finance of the Republic of Austria
Award winner: Hans Rauscher, journalist and author, columnist for DER STANDARD

Renata Schmidtkunz, Born in 1964 in Hattingen an der Ruhr (FRG), she moved to Austria with her parents and siblings at the age of five. She grew up in a Protestant vicarage in Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Carinthia. After completing her school-leaving qualifications, she studied Protestant theology in Vienna and Montpellier (France).
In 1989, she began working for Bayerischer Rundfunk in Munich in the “Church & World” department. It was during this time that her interest in the connection between media and theology, which continues to this day, first developed. Together with the Catholic journalist Dr Peter Pawlowsky, Schmidtkunz established the “Religion” department at ORF television from 1990 onwards, modelled on the methods of high-calibre journalism. Working with the team, she developed new formats, such as the programmes “Kreuz & Quer”, “Die Box”, “Was glaubst du?”, “Religionen der Welt” and many more. Between 1992 and 2012, over 40 documentaries and television features were produced on the topics of history, religion and ethics.
In 2011, her documentary, *Das Weiterleben der Ruth Klüger*, premiered at the VIENNALE. From 2008 to 2012, Renata Schmidtkunz presented the ORF current affairs programme *Club 2*.
Between 1990 and 2012, Renata Schmidtkunz also worked for the ORF/3sat editorial team and, from 1995, for Ö1 as well. There, she presented the programme “Standpunkte”; from 2003 to 2013, she presented “Radiokolleg”; and from 1999, under the direction of Peter Huemer and later Michael Kerbler, she presented the programme “Im Gespräch”. From 2013 until the end of 2025, she was the programme’s director and lead presenter. Her guests included both famous and lesser-known figures such as the actor Sir Peter Ustinov, the US-American civil rights activist Angela Davis, the writer Umberto Eco, the Carinthian mountain farmer Lisl Wirnsberger, the Nobel Prize winner Hertha Müller, the actor John Malkovich and the Berlin loft bed builder Hans-Jörg Görs, to name but a few, were her guests.
Her involvement in civil society outside the ORF ranges from serving on the board of the Vienna Jewish Film Festival (2010 to 2025), to being a co-initiator of the “Austrian Welfare State” referendum (2001/2002), to serving as a board member of the “Fondation pour l’aide au protestantisme réformé” within the World Council of Churches in Geneva, as well as giving talks for NGOs, church congregations, trade unions, schools and cultural institutions.
To this day, she remains interested in issues relating to theology, philosophy, politics, society and peace, as well as matters of human rights and international law.

Hans Rauscher, born on 11 December 1944 in Vienna, studied journalism and history at the University of Vienna after completing his Matura in 1963. He began his career in journalism in 1965 as a contributor to the magazine *Der Österreichische Volkswirt*. In 1970, Rauscher joined the editorial team of the newly founded business magazine "Trend", which Oscar Bronner and Jens Tschebull deliberately positioned in contrast to the business journalism of the time, which had traditionally been structurally aligned with those in power. Almost immediately upon joining, Rauscher wrote a critical article about Schoellerbank, which promptly brought the magazine into conflict with the Vienna Chamber of Commerce. In 1974–1975, he worked on the editorial board of the business magazine "Ecco", which was absorbed into the news magazine "Profil" in 1975.
The journalist then moved to the *Kurier*. He wrote columns and editorials and was editor of the *Sonntagskurier* from 1977 to 1980. In 1980, he became deputy editor-in-chief and head of the domestic politics desk; from 1992 to 1996, he was editor-in-chief of the "Kurier". He also wrote guest commentaries for *Profil* and *Wirtschaftswoche/Wochenpresse* in the 1980s.
In 1997, Rauscher joined the daily newspaper *Der Standard* and the weekly magazine *Format* (which merged with *Trend* in 2016) as a columnist. Rauscher’s areas of focus include, amongst other things, right-wing populism and right-wing extremism, his commitment to liberal democracy, issues relating to immigration and integration, and contemporary European history.
Rauscher sees himself "as a member of civil society who, in a country characterised by strong authoritarian thinking, is trying to ensure that this authoritarian thinking does not gain the upper hand." To this end, Rauscher is increasingly turning to the so-called new media and, consequently, advocates free access to the online edition of *Der Standard*, as this would enable the paper to reach a new audience. From time to time, he personally invites academics, artists and opinion leaders – such as Manfried Rauchensteiner, André Heller and Hugo Portisch – to appear on camera for his video blog "RAU-TV", which is published on the "Standard" website. As an expert, Rauscher is also a frequent guest at discussion events.
As well as his work as a journalist, Hans Rauscher publishes monographs on contemporary history. In his most recent book, *What Must Be Said, But Must Not Be Said*, he addresses topics such as the refugee debate, populism and the role of journalism.
From time to time, Rauscher also writes literary works, including a couplet for the production of Nestroy’s *Zu ebener Erde und erster Stock* at the Vienna Volkstheater (2015).

Members of the jury:
Gertraud Borea d'Olmo, Member of the Board, Bruno Kreisky Forum, Legatee of Ari Rath
Alexandra Föderl-Schmid, Süddeutsche Newspaper
Fritz Hausjell, Emeritus Professor at the Institute of Journalism and Communication Studies; Reporters Without Borders
Oliver Rathkolb, Professor emeritus at the Institute of Contemporary History