Alfred Worm facts for kids
Alfred Worm (born June 14, 1945 – died February 4, 2007) was an important Austrian journalist, author, and university professor. He was known for his special way of finding out the truth about big problems.
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Alfred Worm's Life and Work
Alfred Worm was born in Gmünd, Lower Austria. He first studied to become an engineer, learning how to build things like tunnels and underground structures. He finished his studies in 1964 and worked as an engineer for almost ten years. During this time, he noticed some problems and wrongdoings happening in large construction companies.
Becoming an Investigative Journalist
In 1973, Alfred Worm started to report on these problems. He uncovered what was called the "Bauring-Skandals," which were big issues in the building industry. After this, he decided to become a full-time investigative reporter. This meant his job was to deeply research and expose cases where people were taking money unfairly or cheating in large building projects in Austria.
From 1974 to 1994, he worked for profil, an Austrian news magazine. He started as an editor and later became a top editor. In 1980, he uncovered the "AKH scandal." This was about a new hospital in Vienna that was supposed to be built for a certain amount of money but ended up costing much, much more. For his hard work on this story, he received a special journalism award in 1981.
Major Investigations
In the mid-1980s, Alfred Worm helped reveal secrets about the past of a politician named Kurt Waldheim. This became known as the Waldheim Affair. In 1985, he also uncovered the Noricum scandal. This was about a company that made weapons and was involved in selling them illegally to another country. In May 1994, he moved to another Austrian weekly news magazine called News.
Teaching and Mentoring
Alfred Worm also taught at the University of Vienna starting in the mid-1980s. He helped the journalism department get its own building. Throughout his teaching career, he cared a lot about making sure young journalists learned how to report well and act ethically. He also worked to help new journalists start their careers. Because he was such a well-known journalist, many students wanted to learn from him.
From 1983 to 1988, Alfred Worm also worked as an advisor for the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), which is a political group, in the parliament of the Viennese federal state.
Just a few days after being named "Journalist of the Year" in 2006, Alfred Worm passed away in Vienna on February 4, 2007. He was 61 years old and died from a heart attack.
See Also
- Investigative journalism
