Elisabeth Pfneisl and Marlies Faulend founded "Holyscreen Media," where they are responsible for journalistic productions from the initial idea to broadcast, including "Die talentierten Herren" for ORF. This documentary series traces the careers of individuals who have amassed power and money through ambition, intelligence, and discreet networks. "Appreciation and awards for outstanding journalistic work are not only appropriate but also necessary to honor those who, under the most challenging conditions, ensure the public receives balanced information through their work," said Christian Stöger, President of the Austrian Journalists Club, on the occasion of the award of the "
Dr. Karl Renner Journalism Prize".
The "Dr. Karl Renner Journalism Prize" honors outstanding journalistic achievements by an individual or editorial team over several years, characterized by in-depth and comprehensive exploration of socially relevant topics, making the complex nature of these subjects accessible to a broad audience in an exemplary manner.
Public Value Check
ORF Public Value asked scientists from Austrian educational institutions to assess the value and benefit of the awarded work. The quotes:
"The case of René Benko is one of the most fascinating stories of the last decades in Austria and must therefore be told. This production does so impressively - well-founded, multi-layered, and with the voices of many important experts and sources. Especially the inclusion of these many sources makes for excellent journalism."
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Sophie Lecheler, University of Vienna
"Many investigative journalistic project teams have dealt with the rise and fall of Signa, and the complex connections are not easy for laypeople to understand. The contribution 'Der talentierte Herr Benko' attempts to shed light on the background of the insolvency case and the role of the central figure René Benko. Researching and preparing scandals like these is a central task of public broadcasting. It should provide insight into the history of such a case and contextualize research results to supply users with verified data material and foster understanding."
Mag. Gisela Reiter, FH Wien
"As a public service medium, ORF has the mandate to promote critical and investigative journalism that creates transparency and contributes to opinion formation. The contribution 'Der talentierte Herr Benko: Lage, Lage, Leiner' by Elisabeth Pfneisl and Marlies Faulend fulfills this mandate to a special degree. It illuminates the economic rise and fall of René Benko and shows, using the example of the takeover and insolvency of Kika/Leiner, how power, money, and economic networks function in Austria.
The contribution makes an important contribution to democratic control by uncovering the mechanisms of corporate strategies, political entanglements, and economic misdevelopments. Especially in a time when economic power often lies in few hands and major financial decisions have existential consequences for many people, it becomes increasingly important to make these processes understandable to a broad audience. The contribution helps viewers critically question economic contexts, thus fulfilling central Public Value criteria such as orientation, transparency, and social responsibility.
Through the well-founded, objective, yet critical portrayal of René Benko's economic activities, it is explained how Benko's rise was made possible not only through entrepreneurship but also through entanglements in the economic and political spheres. Thus, ORF fulfills its function as the fourth estate, uncovering grievances and risks and contributing to clarification. By critically examining economic power, the contribution strengthens democratic opinion formation and creates transparency - an essential task for an informed society."
Dr. Denise Voci B.A., M.A., University of Klagenfurt
Further contributions to the discourse on public service quality and the documentation of Public Value are published by ORF in the publication series "PUBLIC VALUE TEXTE." Over 300 scientists and media experts have published relevant views on the quality debate there. In the category "Orientation," for example, by
Dir. Uwe Kamman or by several authors in the
special issue on elections.
All issues of "PUBLIC VALUE TEXTE" and various scientific studies on Public Value can be found here:
ORF Public Value - TEXTS (documents only available in german)
ORF Public Value - STUDIES (documents only available in german)
Orientation as a Public Value Category
The ORF's orientation performance is evidenced, among other things, through reports, documentaries, talk shows, and thematic focuses. The category is based, among other things, on the following passages from
ORF regulations:
ORF Code of Conduct
All political and economic entanglements that could raise doubts about independence must be avoided. Therefore, strict attention must be paid to: independence from (party-)political interests, economic interests, strict separation of programming and advertising/marketing, and authenticity.
ORF Quality Profile
The accuracy of text, audio, and video material is central, especially in the context of the debate on fake news, particularly in the area of online information. Quality features of information are clarity and focus on the essentials. Naming and linking sources for text, image, audio, and video make the website's information offering traceable. Selected links to reports in other media should also serve as orientation aids. The authorship of the contributions is differentiated. In the area of social media, target group-appropriate, but in any case, medium-appropriate addressing and design are particularly committed to adhering to public service quality guidelines.
ORF Mission Statement
ORF acts independently of political parties and other interest groups and is solely committed to its audience and society. It makes a contribution oriented towards the common good to pluralistic democracy and accompanies the change and development of society.
Figures & Data
Below you will find exemplary numbers documenting the fulfillment of the public service mandate and the associated media quality. (Figures & Data only available in german.) Further information can be found in the
ORF's annual report to the Federal Chancellor and regulatory authority, the
transparency report, the business and sustainability report, as well as the reports on equality (
ORF Public Value - DOCUMENTS), the action
plan on accessibility, or the
ORF's annual and consolidated financial statements.
Exemplary Figures
TV Program Structure
ORF 1, ORF 2, ORF III, ORF Sport+
|
Sendungen |
Sekunden |
% |
| Information |
20.032 |
22.825.147 |
19% |
| Kultur |
15.724 |
37.774.283 |
32% |
| Unterhaltung |
10.020 |
22.329.907 |
19% |
| Sport |
19.334 |
36.868.839 |
31% |
| Gesamt |
65.110 |
119.798.176 |
100% |
Orientation in TV
"Runde der Chefredakteur:innen" - Top 3 | 11x ausgestrahlt
| Sendungsname |
Sender |
Datum |
Tsd |
| EU-Wahl 2024 |
ORF III |
09.06. |
197 |
| Prozess gegen Sebastian Kurz |
ORF III |
23.02. |
151 |
| Bürgermeister-Wahl in Graz |
ORF III |
22.03. |
122 |
Nationalrat und Bundesrat - Liveübertragungen auf ORF III
16 Stunden
live aus dem Nationalrat |
5 Stunden
live aus dem Bundesrat |
1
Bundesrat-Enquete (Untersuchungsausschuss) |
| 9.694 Sendeminuten
|
| 162 Sendestunden
insgesamt |
"ECO" - Top 3 | 90x ausgestrahlt
| Sendungsname |
Sender |
Datum |
Tsd |
| Was die Rekord-Krankenstände kosten / Gusenbauers Geschäfte / Seechaos am Roten Meer |
ORF 2 |
01.02. |
493 |
| Boeing / Biogas / 4 Tage Woche |
ORF 2 |
21.03. |
464 |
| Vollspaltböden / Ski-Boom / Geschäftsmodell Besitzstörungsklage |
ORF 2 |
18.01. |
453 |
| Portrait Stefan Pierer / Immer mehr Insolvenzen 2024 / AirBnb: Italien |
ORF 2 |
05.12. |
441 |
| Möbelhandel / Italien: Benko / Androsch Nachruf |
ORF 2 |
12.12. |
430 |
"report" - Top 3 | 81x ausgestrahlt
| Sendungsname |
Sender |
Datum |
Tsd |
| Nationalratswahlen 2024 |
ORF 2 |
30.09. |
676 |
| Parteiengespräche / Gastpatienten |
ORF 2 |
15.10. |
549 |
| Unwetterschäden / Wahlkampf / Teuerung |
ORF 2 |
17.09. |
527 |
| Miliz: Verteidigungsbereit-schaft / Jugendkriminalität / Geschäft mit dem Leid |
ORF 2 |
19.03. |
518 |
| EU-Wahl 2024 |
ORF 2 |
10.06. |
516 |
#orientation
