THE UK’s only employee-owned newspaper has gleaned two shortlist nominations in a competition celebrating the best of regional newspaper journalism.
The West Highland Free Press – owned by the West Highland Publishing Company – heads the Scottish contingent in the NUJ Regional Press Awards, with Michael Russell and Keith MacKenzie nominated for the weekly Feature Writer of the Year and Sports Journalist of the Year, respectively.
Speaking to allmediascotland, Russell said: “I am delighted with the nomination. This is a national award and it is very important local journalism is recognised for its efforts.”
Added MacKenzie: “I was surprised to be shortlisted having entered on the hope of getting something but knowing how competitive it would be. It is nice recognition for the West Highland Free Press and the hard work all of the staff put in.”
Joining MacKenzie in the category of Sports Journalist of the Year for a weekly title is Eric Mackinnon of the West Lothian Courier.
Mackinnon features on the shortlist for the third year running. Having failed to pick up the top prize on the last two occasions, he told allmediascotland “fingers crossed” it’ll be third time lucky.
The awards are being run by the NUJ, which chose to step in when the previous organisers decided to no longer stage the competition. The winners will be announced a week tomorrow.
Elsewhere, the Edinburgh Evening News’ Victoria Raimes has been nominated for the Scoop of the Year award – for her tale about the death of a pensioner whose body lay undiscovered in her Edinburgh flat for five years.
She told allmediascotland.com: “I’m obviously pleased to have been nominated for the award and am looking forward to the event on Tuesday. I’m up against some big regional names so the competition is tough, but I’m happy to be shortlisted.
“The Isabella Purves story was my first ever scoop when I joined the Evening News a year ago, and I hope I’ll keep uncovering original stories.”
The Caledonian Mercury, meanwhile, launched by allmediascotland blogger and former Scotsman.com editor, Stewart Kirkpatrick, has been nominated for the Multimedia Publisher of the Year award.
Gail Milne of the Glenrothes Gazette has been included in the Multimedia Journalist of the Year nominations, while Martin Shields of The Herald and Marc Turner of the Herald and Times Group will compete in the Daily/Sunday Photographer of the Year category. The Galloway Gazette’s Peter Foster is one of five nominees for the Photographer of the Year for a Weekly title.
This year’s Regional Press Awards will be the first time the NUJ have hosted the event, after former organisers, Wilmington Group, announced it would not be doing so due to a lack of support from the industry.
Said Jeremy Dear, NUJ general secretary: “I’d like to record my thanks to all entrants in the awards this year for the dedication they’ve shown in producing outstanding regional journalism in an era dominated by neglect and cost-cutting on the part of so many regional news publishers.”
NUJ Regional Press Awards 2010 Shortlist
Reporter of the year daily/Sunday
Gavin Aitchinson, The Press, York
Bimpe Archer, Irish News
Ciaran Barnes, Sunday Life
Phil Coleman, The News and Star
Allison Morris, Irish News
Reporter of the year weekly
Katie Davis, Ham & High Express
Eleanor Harding, Wandsworth Guardian
Kate Mason, Doncaster Free Press
Phil Turner, Rotherham Post
Cherry Wilson, Croydon Advertiser & Rotherham Advertiser
Multimedia journalist of the year
Sion Donovan, The News – Portsmouth
Gail Milne, Glenrothes Gazette
Nick Stylianou, The Orbital
William Watt, Blackpool Gazette
Joseph Watts, Nottingham Post
Feature writer of the year daily/Sunday
Jayne Dawson, Yorkshire Evening Post
Jim Entwistle, Northern Echo
Viv Groskop, Evening Standard, London
Rowan Mantell, Eastern Daily Press & Evening News
Keiron Pim, Eastern Daily Press
Lee Marlow, Leicestershire Mercury
Feature writer of the year weekly
Roger Lytollis, Cumberland News
Lucy Purdy, Haringey Advertiser
Michael Russell, West Highland Free Press
Audrey Watson, Belfast Telegraph (Weekend)
Sports journalist of the year daily/Sunday
Neil Allen, The News, Portsmouth
Jon Colman, News and Star
Amanda Little, News and Star
Martin Smith, The Star, Sheffield
Scott Wilson, Northern Echo
Sports journalist of the year weekly
Jon Colman, The Cumberland News
Amanda Little, The Cumberland News
Chris McNulty, The Donegal News
Keith MacKenzie, West Highland Free Press
Eric Mackinnon, West Lothian Courier
Specialist writer of the year
Katie Baldwin, Yorkshire Post
Carl Eve, The Plymouth Herald
Keiron Pim, Eastern Daily Press
Susanna Wilkey, Ham & High Express
Columnist of the year
Stacia Briggs, Norwich Evening News
Barry Gibson, Huddersfield Examiner
Rod McPhee, Yorkshire Evening Post
Erik Petersen, Nottingham Post
Paul Taylor, Manchester Evening News
Student journalist of the year
Jennie Agg, Student Direct
Mark Duell, Forge Press
Andy Halls, Pluto
Rosie Taylor, Forge Press
Nick Stylianou, The Orbital
Designer of the year
James Young, NWN Media
Alan Cooper, The News, Portsmouth
Alan Formby-Jackson, Evening Gazette
Graeme Windell, The News, Portsmouth
Photographer of the year daily/Sunday
Mark Bickerdike, Yorkshire Evening Post
Stuart Boulton, Northern Echo
Simon Dack, The Argus
Martin Shields, The Herald
Marc Turner, Herald and Times
Photographer of the year weekly
Stephen Garnett, Craven Herald
Peter Foster, Galloway Gazette
Mark Soanes, Waltham Forest Guardian
Alistair Wilson, Surrey Advertiser
Chris Whiteoak, Surrey Advertiser
Sports photographer of the year daily/Sunday
Mark Bickerdike, Yorkshire Post
Chris Booth, Northern Echo
Stuart Harrison, Swindon Advertiser
Lucy Ray, Bradford and Telegraph Argus
Chris Vaughan, Lincolnshire Echo
Sports photographer of the year weekly
Marie Caley, Doncaster Today
Stephen Garnett, Craven Herald
Liz Mockler, Doncaster Free Press
Anne-Marie Sanderson, Enfield Today
Chris Whiteoak, Aldershot News
Scoop of the year
Gavin Aitchinson, The Press, York
Bimpe Archer, Irish News
Ciaran Barnes, Sunday Life
Victoria Raimes, Edinburgh Evening News
Cherry Wilson, Rotherham Advertiser
Campaign of the year
Robert Pattison, Sunday Sun
Lucy Purdy, Haringey Advertiser
Cara Simpson, Coventry Telegraph
Kathryn Torney, Belfast Telegraph
Kirsty Whalley, Croydon Guardian
Multimedia publisher of the year
Stuart Kirkpatrick, Caledonian Mercury
Paul Bradshaw, Help Me Investigate
Peter Raven, PinkUn.com
Jo Wood, thisiscornwall.co.uk
The Felix Dearden Reporting on Race Award
Mary Griffin
Nick Tarver
Tinashe Mushakavanhu
