AN allmediascotland blogger and a West Lothian-based journalist were among the winners at an awards ceremony celebrating the best of the regional press.
The Regional Press Awards – hosted by the National Union of Journalists after the previous organisers backed out – earlier today saw Stewart Kirkpatrick announced as regional multimedia publisher of the year, for his recently-launched Scottish news website, Caledonian Mercury, and Eric Mackinnon, of the West Lothian Courier, chosen as sports journalist of the year among weekly newspapers.
Says NUJ general secretary, Jeremy Dear: “We decided to run the awards this year in order to provide a showcase for the outstanding work produced by journalists all over the country, but we were blown away by the outstanding quality of the entries, across all categories.
“The success of these awards shows not just the outstanding quality of journalism currently being produced by local and regional titles, both in print and online, but that local and regional titles are currently producing some of the best journalism available anywhere.
“It also demonstrates the folly of the the aggressive cost-cutting measures currently being pursued by the large regional media groups.”
NUJ Regional Press Awards Winners 2010:
Campaign of the year
Kathryn Torney, Belfast Telegraph
Student journalist of the year
Rosie Taylor, Forge Press
Designer of the year
Graeme Windell, The News, Portsmouth
Feature writer of the year (weekly)
Roger Lytollis, Cumberland News
Feature writer of the year (daily/Sunday)
Jayne Dawson of Yorkshire Evening Post
Multimedia journalist of the year
Sion Donovan, The News, Portsmouth
Multimedia publisher of the year
Stewart Kirkpatrick – Caledonian Mercury
Sports photographer of the year (weekly)
Stephen Garnett, Craven Herald
Sports photographer of the year (daily/Sunday)
Lucy Ray, Bradford and Telegraph Argus
Photographer of the year (weekly)
Chris Whiteoak, Surrey Advertiser
Photographer of the year (daily/Sunday)
Stuart Boulton, Northern Echo
Sports journalist of the year (weekly)
Eric Mackinnon, West Lothian Courier
Sports journalist of the year (daily/Sunday)
Neil Allen, The News, Portsmouth
Columnist of the year
Stacia Briggs, Norwich Evening News
Specialist writer of the year
Carl Eve, The Plymouth Herald
The Felix Dearden Reporting on Race Award
Mary Griffin, Coventry Telegraph
Scoop of the year
Cherry Wilson, Rotherham Advertiser & Croydon Advertiser
Reporter of the year (weekly)
Eleanor Harding, Wandsworth Guardian
Reporter of the year (daily/Sunday)
Allison Morris, Irish News
Newspaper of the year
The News, Portsmouth
