MDR

Leipzig – November 07, 2026 -- The MDR documentary "Nationalparks – Brandherde und Naturparadiese?", produced for ARTE, has won the 2026 German-Czech Journalism Prize in the Multimedia category. Author Bettina Wobst received the award on 6 November 2026 in Frankfurt am Main.

Report examines wildfire pressure on national park protection concepts

The film uses Saxon-Bohemian Switzerland to show how climate change, drought and more frequent large fires strain national park protection concepts. It frames the core conflict as whether national parks protect nature or also endanger the people living in and around them.

Wobst, a filmmaker based in Dresden, travelled the German-Czech border region. In the Czech village of Mezná she met a couple who lost their home in the summer 2022 wildfire. They believe inadequate fire prevention and large volumes of dead wood helped the fire spread.

Leipzig – October 29, 2026 -- Six ARD broadcasters will cover gross production costs of up to €300,000 for "Die unglaubliche Geschichte des Moorhuhns" (The Incredible Story of the Moorhuhn), the winner of the 15th ARD TopDocs Competition. Leipzig-based Hoferichter & Jacobs GmbH, represented by Ariane Riecker and Olaf Jacobs, won the pitch for the 90-minute documentary.

Jury picked the winner from 52 submissions and three finalists

A jury of programme editors from the participating ARD media houses and the ARD Mediathek, chaired by ARD Editor-in-Chief Oliver Köhr, shortlisted three projects out of 52 entries. The finalists presented their concepts at a pitch in Leipzig on October 28, 2026. The call sought stories of people who risked everything for big goals, for release on Das Erste or in the ARD Mediathek.