Announcing the Victors: Here Are the Triumphant Contenders

Score one for the Panter Foundation! The renowned media organization has just announced the lucky recipients of the Daniel-Haufler scholarship for their expedition into the heart of the US media society. Guess who made it onto that esteemed list?

Let's give a quick shout-out to the winners:

Katharina Ahnefeld – This journalist, hailing from Ulm, has an impressive academic background in Germanistics, History, and Communication Science. With a research focus on right-wing populism, nationalism, and foreign policy, she's already got a global crisis connection under her belt. Most recently, she freelanced for phoenix TV station and web.de/gmx.de.

Negin Behkam – Originally from Iran, Negin has been making waves in German media. She's worked for numerous Iranian and German print, online, and TV formats, including Iran International, Missy Magazine, and ND. In the past, she's even done internships at the Evangelische Journalistenschule and Reporters Without Borders, specializing in the plight of Iranian journalists in exile. Currently, she's a full-time employee at the daily newspaper "nd."

Now, let's get to know the other eight winners, because they're just as impressive!

Franziska Grillmeier – A Munich native, Franziska has a passion for International Development and Politics. She's reported for various media outlets, including ZEIT Online, WOZ, WDR, BBC, and even won awards like the Grimme Online Award, the Karl Buchrucker Prize, and a nomination as one of the best journalists under 30 by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s media magazine. In 2023, she also published a book, "Die Insel."
Leonie Gubela – Leonie's already part of the Panter Foundation family, having joined in 2019. She's a seasoned editor, having studied in Bonn and Munich, completed a traineeship at the Deutsche Journalistenschule, and worked for local newspapers and interned at SZ and dpa. This is her chance to dive deeper into the adapting, changing world of US journalists and media outlets.
Léonardo Kahn – A freelance journalist, Léonardo’s based in Luxembourg. He's previously covered the French presidential election and earned recognition as one of the “Top 30 under 30” journalists by Medium Magazin. He's currently at Radio 100,7, where he's co-developing the first documentary podcast in Luxembourg.
Tobias Landwehr – An expert in science and sports, Tobias's studied neuroscience, electrical engineering, and achieved his master's in Renewable Energy Management. Since 2016, he's been reporting for ZEIT, SZ, FAZ, NZZ, Spiegel, Stern, ZDF, and DLF. In 2021 and 2024, he reported on the Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo and Paris. In 2023, he won the Pulitzer Center's Data Journalism Grant for his investigation into hydropower.
Oskar Paul – An unconventional journalist, Oskar started as a certified social worker but went on to study journalism. He spent a semester abroad in the USA and has worked for local newspapers, ZEIT Magazin, Süddeutsche Zeitung, and Münchner Merkur. He also received the 1st prize at the Caritas Baden-Württemberg Journalism Award for his research project, "Chilling, Party, Addiction: Growing Up with Drugs."
Tasnim Rödder – Tasnim studied political science at FU Berlin and attended the Deutsche Journalistenschule in Munich. She's worked as a freelancer for various media outlets, including Zeit Online, Die Zeit, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Missy Magazine, and our website. Currently, she's producing investigative documentaries for SWR's VOLLBILD format, focusing on topics like artificial intelligence, voice cloning, deepfakes, and AI assistants.
Sophie Tiedemann – Sophie has investigated the influence of antifeminist activist Phyllis Schlafly for Spiegel and researched the Anastasia scene for ZEIT ONLINE. In 2024, she received a scholarship from the International Journalisten-Programme, which took her to Sofia, Bulgaria, to work for the daily newspaper Dnevnik.
Lukas Tobler – A Swiss journalist, Lukas has been a freelancer and the co-editor-in-chief of the Zurich online magazine das Lamm. Since 2021, he's been working at WOZ and was named one of the "30 under 30" promising young talents in journalism by the Swiss Journalist trade magazine in 2020. In 2022, he won 3rd place at the Medienpreis für Digitale Aufklärung together with Anina Ritscher.

These journalists are about to embark on an incredible journey, exploring the fascinating world of the US media landscape. We can't wait to see the stories they bring back! 🎉🙌📰🗞️🌐💬🔥🔬🏆💪🚀🏦🌐💪📊🌐🎉🌟✨🌍🌟💕💫❤️💫🌟🌍💫💕🥰🔥🥰🔥🥰💫💕🌟🌍💫💕🥰💕💕💕💕🌟🌍💫🥰💕💕💕💕💫🌟🌍💫💕🥰😎🔥😎🔥😎😎🔥😎🔥 STAY TUNED!🔥🔥😎😎🔥🔥😍🥰💫🔥💕

Katharina Ahnefeld, with her academic background in Germanistics, History, and Communication Science, is not only an accomplished journalist but also a researcher focusing on right-wing populism, nationalism, and foreign policy. Her passion for learning extends to career development, as she continues to network and freelance for various media organizations.

Franziska Grillmeier, a Munich native, showcases her commitment to education and self-development by pursuing a master's in Renewable Energy Management and reporting for prestigious media outlets like ZEIT, SZ, FAZ, NZZ, and Spiegel. Her interest in career development is evident through her awards, books published, and international reporting experiences.