Echo retains daily crown in O2 Media Awards
…and newspaper boss honoured for ignoring ‘doom mongers’
The Liverpool Echo retained its crown as the North West’s top Daily Newspaper in this year’s O2 Media Awards.
The Echo also carried off the Team of the Year award for its Hillsborough coverage while staffers Joe Thomas and Jason Roberts added to the paper’s haul, picking up the titles of Young Journalist and Photographer of the Year respectively.
Echo editor Alastair Machray paid tribute to the hard work of his editorial team after the ceremony at Liverpool Cathedral last night.
Liverpool Football Club legend Alan Kennedy and Hillsborough Family Support Group chairwoman Margaret Aspinall presented the Team of the Year Award, praising the Echo for its unwavering support for the Hillsborough victims over 25 years.
In the Weekly Newspaper category the Westmorland Gazette pipped the Cumberland News and Liverpool Post to be named the best paid for title. Best free went to the Leigh Journal.
Addressing the audience of 180 journalists from TV, radio, print and internet operations Burnham said it was vital the regional press continued in its role as community watchdogs, investigating allegations of wrongdoing and defending their villages, towns and cities.
News reporter of the year was Aasma Day of the Lancashire Evening Post whose investigation into Lancashire’s twilight world of prostitution, homelessness and drug abuse wowed the judging panel. The Post landed a second award, for Community Journalism, with its coverage of the 2012 Preston Guild celebrations.
Granada Reports’ Dan Hewitt was named TV journalist of the Year and colleague Rachel Townsend won the Scoop of the Year with her exclusive report on Chancellor George Osborne’s travelling first class with a second class rail ticket. Townsend was on the London Euston bound train when she saw the commotion between a ticket inspector and Osborne’s aides. BBC North West Tonight’s Jayne McCubbin was named Specialist Writer of the Year.
Newspaper entrepreneurs Aldie Robarts, who set up one of the UK’s first free newspapers, as well as North West Auto Trader, together with former Newsquest boss Iain Aiken, made personal tributes to this year’s Outstanding Contribution winner Betty Drummond.
Guests heard how Drummond, a former Newsquest MD, launched her own newspaper The Champion after she discovered Newsquest were closing the weekly title she was running in Southport and making staff jobs redundant. Today the Champion group has eight titles and a national consumer magazine with Drummond challenging “doom mongers” who said print journalism was dead.
Radio City and City Talk’s Mick Coyle was named Radio Journalist of the Year by Woman’s Hour presenter Sheila McClennon. BBC Breakfast’s Steph McGovern announced Business Insider as the Specialist Publication of the year while ITN editor Richard Frediani praised all of this year’s entrants for submitting exceptional portfolios.
The Lancashire Telegraph’s Burnley football correspondent Suzanne Geldard was named Sports Journalist of the Year, the first woman to win the sports category in the six years since the O2 awards began.
Dubbed the Oscars of regional journalism this year’s North West awards attracted more than 300 entries and took judges three days to fully consider.
Nicola Green, Head of Communications and Reputation at O2 UK, said it had been an exceptional year for North West media. From the Hillsborough investigation through to the shocking police murder trial of Dale Cregan, the North West had regularly been at the forefront of the national and international news agenda.
“The media talent that’s in the North West is undeniable. Every year the judging panel finds it harder and harder to select an overall winner for each category. O2 is delighted to recognise that talent through these awards.”
Here’s the link to the photo’s
http://www.flickr.com/photos/o2ukofficial/sets/72157637409035685/
O2 Media Award Winners:
New Media Journalist of the Year
The Post, Liverpool
Runners Up
Andy Downton – Heart FM
John Scheerhout – Manchester Evening News
Feature Writer of the Year
Steve Canavan – The Gazette, Blackpool
Runners Up
Vickie Scullard – Bolton News
Roger Lytollis – News & Star/ Cumberland News
Photographer of the Year
Jason Roberts – Liverpool Echo & Post
Runners Up
Robert Binder – Lancashire Telegraph
Darren Robinson – Oldham Evening Chronicle
Gareth Jones – Liverpool Echo & Post
Phil Rigby – CN Magazines
Sports Journalist of the Year
Suzanne Geldard – Lancashire Telegraph
Runners Up
William Watt – The Gazette, Blackpool
Greg O’Keeffe – Liverpool Echo
David Chisnall – ITV Granada
Specialist Publication of the Year
Business Insider
Runners Up
Lancashire Life
All Together Now
Warrington Guardian Weekend Magazine
Radio Broadcast Journalist of the Year
Mick Coyle – City Talk 105.9
Runners Up
Mair Thomas – Heart North West
Steve Becker – BBC Radio Lancashire
Television Broadcast Journalist of the Year
Daniel Hewitt – ITV Granada
Runners Up
Sarah Rogers – ITV Granada
Dave Guest – BBC North West
Adam McLean – ITV Granada
Young Journalist of the Year
Joe Thomas – Liverpool Echo
Runners Up
Richard Wheatstone – Manchester Evening News
Adam McLean – ITV Granada
Rachel Flint – Chester Chronicle
Daniel Hewitt – ITV Granada
News Reporter of the Year
Aasma Day – Lancashire Evening Post
Runners Up
Sarah Collins – 2BR/The Bee
Jennifer Williams – Manchester Evening News
John Siddle – Liverpool Echo
Specialist Writer of the Year
Jayne McCubbin – BBC North West Tonight
Runners Up
Alistair Houghton – Liverpool Post & Echo
Ben Turner – Liverpool Echo
Scoop of the Year
Rachel Townsend – Granada Reports (George Osborne )
Runners Up
Radio City & City Talk – (Don’t Bet On It)
Jennifer Williams – Manchester Evening News (The Cavemen of 2013)
Emerging Talent Award
Emily Burgin – University of Salford
Runners Up
Anthony Sabanskis – University of Bolton
Ian O’Brien – Blackburn University College
Joshua Worrall – Cronton Sixth Form College
Community Journalism Award
Lancashire Evening Post (Preston Guild)
Editorial Team of the Year
Liverpool Echo (Hillsborough)
Runners Up
Lancashire Evening Post (Preston Guild)
The Farm (BBC Sport)
Free Distribution Publication of the Year
Leigh Journal
Runners Up
Saddleworth Independent
Wirral Globe
Champion Newspapers
Weekly Journalist of the Year
Rachel Flint – Chester Chronicle
Runners Up
Carmella De Lucia – Chester Chronicle
Ellis Butcher – Westmorland Gazette
Ellie Cullen – Crewe Chronicle
Oliver Clay – Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News
Weekly Paid For Newspaper of the Year
Westmorland Gazette
Runners Up
The Post, Liverpool
Cumberland News
Daily Newspaper of the Year
Liverpool Echo
Runners Up
Daily Post Wales
Bolton News
Outstanding Contribution
Betty Drummond, Champion newspapers
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