Kieskompas wins annual prize for journalism

April 3, 2007. In the category Multimedia-News, Kieskompas is awarded the annual prize for journalism: ‘De Tegel 2006’.

Jury report

Together with the VU University of Amsterdam, the Dutch national daily newspaper Trouw has launched Kieskompas as an alternative to the popular Stemwijzer voting advice service. Kieskompas differs from the Stemwijzer because it does not give advice on voting, but enables voters to determine their position in the political landscape on the basis of position statements on themes. The website was launched four weeks before the elections and proved to be an instant success with 3 million visitors and 1.7 positions determined. The collected data were analyzed and formed the basis for a series of articles in Trouw concerning prognoses regarding voter behaviour. The emphasis now no longer lay on the political rat race, but on providing insight into the political position of the voter. Kieskompas serves a public interest and had a great impact prior to the elections. The website is based on the principle of interactivity and provides a substantial amount of information at different levels. Furthermore, the data generated provided material for interesting reports and analyses in the newspaper: a stimulating form of interaction between media. Kieskompas could form a permanent tool for members of the public who wish to assess their political preference on the basis of issues.

More information on this prize: www.detegel.info