Christian Lerch
Christian Lerch (born 1978) is a journalist and radio documentary producer based in Vienna, Austria, and Berlin, Germany.
Early life and education
Lerch graduated from the University of Vienna, He studied at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Career
Lerch worked at the Leo Baeck Institute in New York City.
In 2006 he began working as a radio producer, author and director for radio art/documentaries for the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation ORF, the cultural channel Radio Österreich 1 and the German public broadcasting network WDR focusing on political and (pop-)culture topics.{{cite book|title=Zitty|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6sEjAQAAIAAJ|volume=30|year=2007|publisher=Zitty Verlag GmbH|page=59}} In 2009 he produced the radio documentary "Sold/Verkauft!"{{cite web|url=http://www.srf.ch/sendungen/passage/verkauft!-vier-fluechtlinge-landen-in-guantanamo |title=Verkauft! Vier Flüchtlinge landen in Guantánamo - Passage - Sendungen - Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen |work=Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) |language=de|publisher=Srf.ch |date=2012-10-22 |accessdate=2013-09-07}} about four Uighur men who had been sold as suspected terrorists to the CIA and imprisoned for four years at the prison camp Guantánamo Bay.{{cite web|author=derStandard.at |url=http://derstandard.at/1256744017692/Radio-Tipp-Hoerbilder-Verkauft-nach-Guantanamo-Bay |title=Verkauft nach Guantánamo Bay - Radio - derStandard.at › Etat |publisher=Derstandard.at |date= |accessdate=2013-09-07}} The radio documentary was published as an audio book in 2011.{{cite web |url=http://merianverlag.ch/presse/detail.cfm?ObjectID=1025583C-1422-0CEF-76E0B076564D54C9 |title=Christoph Merian Verlag - Presseinformation |language=de |publisher=Merianverlag.ch |accessdate=2013-09-07 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110829213849/http://www.merianverlag.ch/presse/detail.cfm?ObjectID=1025583C-1422-0CEF-76E0B076564D54C9 |archivedate=2011-08-29 }}
Lerch created a three part series of radio programs on illegal drugs: "Crystal Meth. A homemade drug" (produced by the ORF 2007),{{cite web|url=http://oe1.orf.at/artikel/210975 |title=Gesellschaft |publisher=Oe1.orf.at |date=2008-10-17 |accessdate=2013-09-07}} "Apocalypse Goa" (a co-production of WDR/ORF 2010){{cite web|url=http://www.einslive.de/sendungen/plan_b/soundstories/2012/07/120724_apocalypse_goa.jsp |title=Apocalypse Goa - Soundstories - Sendungen - 1LIVE |language=de|publisher=Einslive.de |date= |accessdate=2013-09-07}} and "Viva La Muerte. The drug ballads of northern Mexico" (produced by the WDR/ORF 2012){{cite web|url=http://www.einslive.de/sendungen/plan_b/soundstories/2012/06/120621_iviva_la_muerte.jsp |title=¡Viva la muerte! - Soundstories - Sendungen - 1LIVE |language=de|publisher=Einslive.de |date= |accessdate=2013-09-07}} are documentaries commissioned for broadcast in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.{{cite web|author=Süddeutsche.de GmbH, Munich, Germany |url=http://newsticker.sueddeutsche.de/list/id/1330280 |title=Review of the radio documentary "Viva La Muerte" for the German Newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung |publisher=Newsticker.sueddeutsche.de |date= |accessdate=2013-09-07}}
Lerch is the co-founder of "name>it positive media" and co-editor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup web journal kaptransmissions.org.
Lerch occasionally writes and publishes for newspapers, including Der Standard, Wiener Zeitung and the Russian weekly magazine Ogoniok.{{cite web|author=derStandard.at |url=http://derstandard.at/3356566/Fussball-im-Kosovo-Do-you-want-to-play-football |title=Fußball im Kosovo: "Do you want to play football?" - Leben und Wirtschaft in Osteuropa - derStandard.at › Themenmonat |publisher=Derstandard.at |date=2008-01-06 |accessdate=2013-09-07}}{{cite web|url=http://www.wienerzeitung.at/nachrichten/oesterreich/chronik/50263_Die-Schule-ist-die-einzige-Chance.html |title="Die Schule ist die einzige Chance" - Über den gescheiterten Versuch, aus einem südafrikanischen Township nicht über Armut zu berichten - Wiener Zeitung Online |publisher=Wienerzeitung.at |date= 27 May 2010|accessdate=2013-09-07}}
In 2014, Lerch was a fellow at the European Journalism Fellowships at the Freie Universität Berlin, researching surveillance and control of public urban spaces in Germany and in the United States.{{cite web|url=http://www.polsoz.fu-berlin.de/en/kommwiss/institut/journalistenkolleg/ejf/jahrgang/index.html |title=Current Fellowships • International Center for Journalism • Department of Political and Social Sciences |publisher=Polsoz.fu-berlin.de |date=2013-05-04 |accessdate=2013-09-07}}
In collaboration with the German theater director [http://www.drama-koeln.de/ Matthias Kapohl] Lerch produced in 2015 the first binaural radio feature. Through this recording and production technology the radio documentary "Bi-Normal" enables the listeners to a 3D audio experience, that is usually used for radio drama and in sounds for movies.{{cite web|url= http://www1.wdr.de/radio/wdr3/programm/sendungen/wdr3-hoerspiel/bi-normal-100.html |title= Bi-Normal - WDR 3 - pop 3 |language=de|publisher= WDR 3 |date= 16 November 2015|accessdate=2016-04-05}}
With the multimedia documentary #[https://web.archive.org/web/20161004120011/http://deutschlandradiokultur.pageflow.io/illegale-drogen-toten#62534 illegaledrogentöten] (eng. illegal drugs kill) Lerch finalized 2016 the trilogy on the devastating effects of the global war on drugs in consumer markets, transit and producing countries of illegal drugs.{{cite web|url= http://www.deutschlandradiokultur.de/drogenpolitik-illegale-drogen-toeten.958.de.html?dram:article_id=358793|title= Radio Feature - Deutschlandradio Kultur/Austrian Broadcasting Corporation ORF|language=de|publisher= Deutschlandradio Kultur |date= 3 September 2016|accessdate=2016-09-03}}
It was the first live social media radio documentary, using social media comments as a narrative.{{cite web|url= http://www.deutschlandradiokultur.de/autor-zum-feature-illegaledrogentoeten-globales.1895.de.html?dram:article_id=364592|title= Interview with Christian Lerch - Deutschlandradio Kultur|language=de|publisher= Deutschlandradio Kultur |date= September 2016|accessdate=2016-09-01}}
For Austria’s prestigious art museum Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Lerch developed and curated 2019 the multimedia project “six seasons” consisting of an audio podcast and animated videos.{{Cite web|url=https://www.khm.at/erfahren/kunstvermittlung/podcast/|title=Podcast|website=www.khm.at|language=de|access-date=2019-12-27}} Six paintings from the renowned old masters collection of the museum were used by a selection of contemporary writers (a.o. Ann Cotten, Mark von Schlegell, Hanno Millesi) to write fictional short stories, that were transformed into a series of audio dramas.{{Cite web|url=https://open.spotify.com/show/6xMcEVqHsGhzeSR4NWCOmb|title=Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien - Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien|website=Spotify|language=en|access-date=2019-12-27}} Through fictional storytelling “six seasons” provides a contemporary perception of Renaissance and Baroque paintings, conveying historical artistic intention into new and varied media formats.{{Cite web|url=https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000111572872/six-seasons-oe1-bringt-khm-gemaelde-ins-radio|title="Six Seasons": Ö1 bringt KHM-Gemälde ins Radio - derStandard.de|website=DER STANDARD|language=de-AT|access-date=2019-12-27}}
Lerch was an executive producer for the documentary series Sockenpuppenzoo in 2025. The podcast explored the activities of the right-wing group known as "Rosa-Liebknecht-Zoo," which sought to politically influence and manipulate the German-language Wikipedia. Through investigative reporting, the documentary examined the group's strategies, including the use of sockpuppet accounts and coordinated edits, highlighting broader concerns about ideological interference in online knowledge platforms.{{cite web | url=https://www.ardaudiothek.de/sendung/sockenpuppenzoo-angriff-auf-wikipedia/13996869/ | title=Sockenpuppenzoo – Angriff auf Wikipedia }}
Next to his work as an editor and journalist he is visiting lecturer at the University of Konstanz, where he teaches storytelling and research in audio journalism.{{cite web | url=https://zeus.uni-konstanz.de/hioserver/pages/startFlow.xhtml?_flowId=detailView-flow&_flowExecutionKey=e1s1 | title=ZEuS Portal Uni Konstanz - ZEUS - Studierendenportal der Universität Konstanz }}
Awards
File:Christian Lerch Prix-Europa Best-European-Radio-Documentary-of-the-Year photographed by Monika Kalcsics 10-20-2017.tif for the Best European radio documentary 2017.]]
Lerch received various awards, including the Award for ORF Journalists,[https://web.archive.org/web/20150112181248/http://kundendienst.orf.at/programm/radio/oe1_ungar.html] Award for ORF Journalists and the Hans Nerth- Radio Scholarship.{{Cite web|title=Ö1: Hans Nerth-Radiostipendium für den österreichischen Autor Christian Lerch|url=https://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20061201_OTS0100/oe1-hans-nerth-radiostipendium-fuer-den-oesterreichischen-autor-christian-lerch|access-date=2021-08-09|website=OTS.at|language=de}} In the years 2010 and 2011 Christian Lerch was nominated for the CNN Journalist Award{{cite web|author=CNN International |url=http://www.cnnjournalistaward.com |title=Home |publisher=Cnnjournalistaward.com |date= |accessdate=2013-09-07}} and for the Austrian Journalism Prize,{{cite web|url=http://kurier.at/kultur/cnn-preis-nominierung-fuer-christian-lerch/771.557 |title=CNN-Preis Nominierung für Christian Lerch |publisher=Kurier.At |date=2012-03-19 |accessdate=2013-09-07}} the Dr. Karl Renner Prize{{cite web |url=http://www.extradienst.at/das-heft/storys/26684 |title=Habe die Ehre! — extradienst: Exklusiv / Top |language=de |publisher=Extradienst.at |date=2013-06-17 |accessdate=2013-09-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305153348/http://www.extradienst.at/das-heft/storys/26684 |archive-date=2016-03-05 |url-status=dead }} In the year 2010 he received the second prize of the FEATUREPREIS Award in Basel, Switzerland.{{cite web|author=Thomas Leuzinger,Redaktionsleiter |url=http://www.kleinreport.ch/news/featurepreis-2010-der-stiftung-radio-basel-geht-an-wdr-62388.html |title=Featurepreis 2010 der Stiftung Radio Basel geht an WDR |language=de|publisher=kleinreport.ch |date=2010-11-08 |accessdate=2013-09-07}}
For the documentary [http://deutschlandfunkkultur.pageflow.io/illegale-drogen-toten#62534 #illegaledrogentöten] (English title: #illegaldrugskill){{cite web|author=Matthias Horn, Online Editor Deutschlandfunk Kultur|url=http://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/autor-zum-feature-illegaledrogentoeten-globales.1895.de.html?dram%3Aarticle_id=364592 |title=Interview with Christian Lerch|language=de|publisher=Deutschlandfunkkultur |date=2017-09-01 |accessdate=2017-06-29}} the third and final part of the trilogy on the effects of illegal drugs and of the war on drugs Lerch was awarded a Silver Award for the best radio programs 2017 at the [http://www.newyorkfestivals.com/radio/ New York Festivals] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624084647/http://www.newyorkfestivals.com/radio/ |date=2017-06-24 }}.{{cite web |author=New York Festivals |url=http://www.newyorkfestivals.com/worldsbestradio/2017/pieces.php?iid=520039&pid=1 |title=Best Radio 2017 |publisher=newyorkfestivals.com |date= |accessdate=2017-06-29 |archive-date=2017-08-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818095229/http://www.newyorkfestivals.com/worldsbestradio/2017/pieces.php?iid=520039&pid=1 |url-status=dead }}
With the program "Papa we're in Syria"{{cite web|url= http://www1.wdr.de/mediathek/audio/wdr5/wdr5-dok5-das-feature/audio-papa-wir-sind-in-syrien-100.html|title= Papa, wir sind in Syrien|language=de|publisher= Westdeutscher Rundfunk WDR |date= January 2017|accessdate=2017-02-11}} Lerch followed a father searching and trying to rescue his sons, who had joined the so-called Islamic State/ISIS in Syria 2015. That program won him the prestigious European Media Award Prix Europa for the Best European Radio Documentary 2017.{{cite web|url=http://prixeuropa.eu/competition/winners|title=Winners 2017! —|language=en|publisher=Prix Europa|date=2017-10-20|accessdate=2017-11-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228151859/http://prixeuropa.eu/competition/winners|archive-date=2014-12-28|url-status=dead}}
The jury of the BBC Audio Drama Award selected the podcast "[https://www.khm.at/erfahren/kunstvermittlung/podcast/ six seasons"] as a finalist for [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/48H1z30d4WLLz345v4BddQ1/audio-drama-awards-2021-the-finalists Best European Drama] 2021.
References
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External links
- [http://www.polsoz.fu-berlin.de/en/kommwiss/institut/journalistenkolleg/ejf/fellows/fellows_12_13/index.html European Journalism Fellowship]
- [http://www.wdr.de/programmvorschau/object4Broadcast.jsp?broadcastId=4298248 FEATURE: "Protokoll eines Totschlags" by Christian Lerch] for the ARD Radio Festival 2013
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20130621152517/http://nameit.at/ name it positive media]
- [http://kaptransmissions.org/ Webjournal kaptransmissions.org] for the FIFA World Championship 2010 in South Africa
- [http://kurier.at/kultur/cnn-preis-nominierung-fuer-christian-lerch/771.557 Article on the CNN Journalist Award Nomination of Christian Lerch ] in the Austrian newspaper Kurier
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20160305153348/http://www.extradienst.at/das-heft/storys/26684 Article on the CNN Award Nomination of Christian Lerch in the media journal Extradienst]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20130614021543/http://www.srgd.ch/mitgliedschaft/srg-region-basel/stiftung-radio-basel/featurepreis-2007-2011/ FEATUREPREIS - International documentary award]