Journalism prize for Gerlinde Lütke Hockenbeck and Gisbert Strotdrees

The Apothekerstiftung Westfalen-Lippe has awarded Gerlinde Lütke Hockenbeck and Gisbert Strotdrees for their thematic focus 'Landapotheken haben Fieber', which was published in August 2023 in the Wochenblatt für Landwirtschaft und Landleben. One of the reports in the focus section uses the example of a pharmacy in the 3,000-inhabitant village of Brochterbeck in Tecklenburger Land (Steinfurt district) to shed light on the issue of nationwide care in rural areas. Extensive factual research, based among other things on data from the Cologne Institute for Retail Research, provides well-founded figures and background information on the current pharmacy crisis.

At the award ceremony in Münster, jury member Dr. Frank Biermann (media, journalism and film section of the Verdi district of Münsterland) emphasized in his laudatory speech: 'The story is described in great detail and with a wealth of knowledge, with a great deal of empathy for the country and the people who live there.'

'The award is a nice acknowledgement of the journalistic format 'Insight', in which the Wochenblatt regularly uses up to six pages to take a broader look at a hot topic in agriculture or rural areas,' says Wochenblatt editor-in-chief Patrick Liste. 'This is always teamwork. Photographer Farina Schildmann and graphic designer Stephan Nauß, who developed the highly praised layout, also played a major role in the award-winning article.'

The Journalism Prize of the Westphalia-Lippe Pharmacists' Foundation is awarded every two years and is presented in five categories. At this year's prize, which was awarded for the seventh time, journalists from Süddeutsche Zeitung, NDR, WDR, BR and Deutschlandfunk were also honored. 'To be honored in parallel with these renowned leading German media proves the journalistic class and relevance of the Wochenblatt. We congratulate Gerlinde Lütke Hockenbeck and Gisbert Strotdrees,' said Dr. Ludger Schulze Pals and Malte Schwerdtfeger, Managing Directors of Landwirtschaftsverlag Münster, which has been publishing the Wochenblatt for 180 years.