Colombia: Presenting the ¡Investiga! journalism awards

"It used to be easier for journalists in Colombia," said Marcela Turati in her opening remarks. Turati is a journalist herself and was speaking at the ¡Investiga! awards ceremony held in November at the Gabriel García Márquez Cultural Center in Bogotá. "Although you often risked your life by publishing details about offenders and victims," she admitted, "journalism was somehow simpler. Journalists saw themselves as war correspondents reporting from crisis regions, and it seemed easier to separate the culprits from the victims," she said.

But this has changed, because although the conflict in Colombia has died down and life is has become more secure, the country is still not at peace. "Postconflicto" or "post-conflict" is a vague and sometimes euphemistic term used to describe the country's transition from civil war to a settled peace. And this is a challenge for journalists. Whereas they once asked journalism's standard "five W's" - the who, what, when, where and why questions - these questions have become more complex. Journalists now ask people how they are coming to terms with the past, dealing with grief, and whether there are ways to make sure this never happens again.

Three award-winning reports on "Peace, Conflict and Region"

Matthias Kopp, Country Coordinator for Colombia, and Ute Schaeffer, Deputy Director of DW Akademie, praised the winners for their in-depth research

The ¡Investiga! journalism prize was initiated in 2012 by DW Akademie and Universidad del Norte to encourage journalists to carry out in-depth research on political and social issues. "Paz, Conflicto y Región" ("Peace, Conflict and Region") was the focus of this year's awards and called for reports examining the social and political aspects of Colombia's conflict. For the first time, the awards were also supported by the prestigious journalism network Consejo de Redacción (CdR) an independent journalists association based in Bogotá.

Ute Schaeffer, DW Akademie's Deputy Director, attended the awards ceremony and praised the winners for their extensive research. "¡Investiga! The name alone challenges you to research and uncover stories!" she said encouragingly. "The prize underlines the importance of investigative journalism because it provides a groundwork for Colombia's peace process, and dealing with the past is a prerequisite for reconciliation."

Returning from exile

This year the ¡Investiga! awards were also supported by the journalists network, Consejo de Redacción

This year ¡Investiga!'s third prize went to Felipe Motoa for "Para volver no solo hay que querer" ("Going back involves more then just love"). His report looks at the grief and turmoil of exiles returning to their home village in the region of Magdalena Medio. "It's an impressive, touching report on people trying to start up again with all their hopes, longings and challenges," commended Colombian journalist and jury member, Olga Behar.

Alfonso Hamburger won the second prize for "Guerry y Violencia en el Caribe" ("War and Violence in the Caribbean"). Through a series of documentations and episodes he puts the civil war and its consequences into context by using the sensitive accounts of people living in Sincelejos, a city in the department of Sucre. "It is well-written, well-documented and moving," praised jury member Jesús Arroyave from Universidad del Norte.

The ¡Investiga! first prize went to David González who spent two years researching the murders of journalist Luis Eduardo Gómez and his son, Juan Pablo Atahualpa, and produced the in-depth portrait, "In the Name of the Father and the Son". Jury member and DW Akademie Latin America Division head, Rodrigo Villarzú, gratulated González for a work that was "very well-written, balanced, tender and respectful."

¡Investiga! gaining ground

DW Akademie project manager Vera Möller-Holtkamp is extremely pleased with the results of the third annual ¡Investiga! competition. "There were 72 entries this year and the journalism was very good," she says. With the support of the Consejo de Redacción journalism network, three times as many entries were submitted compared to 2013.

The first prize, as in the previous two years, includes a trip to Germany. In December, award winner David González will be attending a DW Akademie workshop in Berlin that focuses on Germany dealing with its own past, and that enables colleagues from Colombia and Guatemala to exchange experiences. González will also meet with German investigative reporters and have the opportunity to produce online reports with DW's Spanish desk in Bonn.