Evening Times dominate Scottish showing on Regional Press Awards shortlist

FOUR of the six shortlisted entries for awards celebrating the best of the UK’s regional press are from Glasgow’s Evening Times newspaper.

The UK Regional Press Awards – being organised by trade paper, the Press Gazette – also sees the Press and Journal nominated in the Columnist of the Year category and sister title, Aberdeen Evening Express, shortlisted in the Designer section of the prizes.

And it’s the Evening Times’ campaigning journalism that has led to its nomination for the top award of Daily Newspaper of the Year.

And Evening Times’ journalists are up for three other awards.

The paper’s ongoing anti-litter campaign, which has attracted huge public support, has been shortlisted for Campaign of the Year.

Crime reporter, Chris Musson, has been nominated for Specialist Reporter of the Year. His series, Crime on Your Street, used Freedom of Information legislation to expose the true levels of trouble in people’s neighbourhoods.

Chief sub-editor, Andy Clark, who managed the design of the fortnight-long crime series, is up for Designer of the Year. His entry also included a striking spread about how Scottish Executive’s adverts to tackle issues such as knives and drugs were accused of portraying a negative image of Scotland, and a front page showing armed police responding to a West End bank raid.

The latest nominations come on top of a number of plaudits already won by the Evening Times this year.

The paper was named UK Regional Newspaper of the Year at the Newspaper Society awards in March and picked up major plaudits at the Scottish Press Awards in April.

Said Evening Times editor, Donald Martin: “The number of nominations we’ve received is testament to the hard work and professionalism of staff on the Evening Times.”

The P&J columnist is Nicola Barry, while the Evening Express’s designer is Roddie Reid.

The winners are being announced on the 29th.