(Vienna, 06 May 2022) Monika Redlberger-Fritz, a virologist at MedUni Vienna, was named Communicator of the Year by the Public Relations Verband Austria (PRVA) as part of Austrian Communications Day.
PRVA President, Karin Wiesinger, praised the virologist's winning manner and her tireless commitment to communicating medical facts to a wide-ranging audience in a manner that is decidedly factual but easy to understand and thus reassuring.
The laudatory speech was given by Elisabeth Puchhammer-Stöckl, Head of the Center for Virology at MedUni Vienna. She had been awarded a special prize for COVID communications by the Public Relations Association Austria the previous year.
Award and jury
Every year since 1995, the PRVA has recognised a Communicator of the Year – a person who communicates on complex, socially relevant topics without being a public relations professional. An eight-strong expert jury comprising representatives from journalism and Public Relations put forward a number of potential candidates. These were then assessed and ranked in an online public ballot.