In Prison
2025 Finalist
Media associated with this campaign
Overview of this campaign
As a multimedia media company, we want to reach our readers in a variety of ways and make journalistic content accessible through different channels. With the “In Prison” video series, we are focusing on high-quality visual journalism that translates in-depth research into a compelling moving image format. In cooperation with the Augsburger Allgemeine and pd next, we developed a journalistic format that takes an in-depth look at the happenings in Gablingen prison. Together with filmmaker Timian Hopf, our editorial team met with those affected and experts, including a former prison chaplain and a former prisoner in Kosovo. We also attended press conferences organised by the Ministry of Justice and spoke to the deputy prison director's lawyers. In this way we were able to capture different perspectives and prepare the issue for different audiences. With the video series 'In Prison: Behind the Walls of Gablingen prison”, we aim to reach new audiences and bring investigative journalism to a modern, visually appealing format. The video documentary allows us to tell a complex and sensitive story in an emotional way and gives our readers direct access to the stories behind the walls of Gablingen prison. At the same time, it strengthens our digital strategy by producing high-quality videos and premium content for social media and our news website. The importance of video journalism is growing. The development of new video formats has also become essential for newspaper publishers. Our video strategy is a response to this change, offering our users innovative content that goes beyond traditional text formats. The aim is to complement our journalistic reporting with new forms of audio and video storytelling, not only to increase our reach but also to retain our readers in the long term. With this strategic focus, we aim to drive long-term growth in our digital subscriptions and make our content even more relevant to a modern audience.
Results for this campaign
In October 2023, we were the first camera team ever to gain exclusive access to one of Germany's most modern prisons. The footage revealed the strange power structures inside the prison. A year later, the investigative work of the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper was instrumental in bringing the Gablingen prison scandal to the public. On 25 October 2024, our investigative team uncovered the allegations based on an anonymous tip and was the first media brand to report exclusively on the case. In December 2024, we expanded our research with a exclusive video documentary that provides an in-depth look at the case. Part of our team even travelled to Kosovo to speak to a former detainee.
The reach and engagement of our readers shows how much interest there is in such investigative reporting. More than 550,000 people read the coverage of the video documentary 'In prison' in the daily newspaper. The response on our social media channels was particularly impressive: the free videos from Augsburger Allgemeine ORIGINAL were viewed more than 250,000 times on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. A special highlight of this project was the direct interaction with our audience. We showed the video documentaries on a big screen at two exclusive live events. The screening not only gave guests the opportunity to experience the documentary in the cinema, but also to talk directly to the makers of the series.
With “In Prison: Behind the Walls of Gablingen Prison”, we not only made an important investigative contribution but also developed our digital storytelling and significantly expanded our reach in the field of video journalism. This project confirms that there is a strong appetite for investigative journalism in new formats and that we can sustain our digital growth with high-quality multimedia content.
Team Research: Holger Sabinsky-Wolf, Ina Marks, Max Kramer, Jan Kandzora
Team Video: Manuel Andre, Timian Hopf, Christiane Zaunitzer