Dan McCrum, investigative reporter at the Financial Times, has won the coveted Helmut Schmidt Journalism Prize in Germany for his work uncovering one of the biggest accounting frauds in European corporate history.
This is the first time the prize has gone to a business journalist outside Germany.
The FT’s investigation into the technology company Wirecard sent ripples through the German financial regulatory system and led to the downfall of the prominent DAX 30 company.
Uwe Vorkoetter, journalist and member of the awards jury, remarked: “McCrum spent six years researching the Wirecard case. From his initial doubts about the company’s integrity to the collapse of this tissue of lies that had made it into the DAX30 circle. McCrum has had to overcome many obstacles; he has been investigated on suspicion of market manipulation, lawyers have been hired to intimidate him, his email account has been hacked, he has taken great personal risks overall. It is for these reasons that the jury decided to award him this prize despite him not meeting the criteria, and with that, the jury is setting an example with a strong message. A signal of self-criticism with regard to German business journalism, which did not follow the Wirecard case with the same rigor, clarity, and consistency as McCrum did. Therefore, we extend our wholehearted congratulations to Dan McCrum.”
The Helmut Schmidt Journalism Prize, now in its 25th year, recognizes special achievements in business and critical consumer journalism.
More information on the award and the full online ceremony can be found here.
