Nick Ferrari picked up the prize at the awards dinner on Monday night along with the award for popular journalism. Some 400 journalists from across the industry attended the event held at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms, say the organisers, Press Gazette.
The winners list:
TECHNOLOGY JOURNALISM
Sponsored by Huawei
Carole Cadwalladr of The Observer
The judges said: “Carole Cadwalladr’s investigation into the role of tech companies in elections was outstanding journalism which raised a huge number of important issues for democracy and society.
“Tim Berners-Lee quoted from one of her articles article when he spoke up earlier this year on the danger that the unregulated power of the technology companies posed to democracy. This was important work and a deserving winner.”
FEATURES JOURNALISM
Tom Parry of the Daily Mirror for work which included his report from the “forgotten famine” in Somalia.
The judges said: “Tom Parry writes with compassion and flare. With breadth and skill he shines a light on forgotten issues. He was the strongest candidate in a very, very tough field.”
INNOVATION OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Google
Winners: Megan Lucero, Maeve McClenaghan, Gareth Davies and Charles Boutaud of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism for The Bureau Local.
The judges said: “The Bureau Local has found a new way to do things previously thought difficult or impossible, and a way of being efficient at a time when resources are in short supply.”
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Dan Wootton of The Sun for working including his reports on Ant McPartin’s struggles with addiction and mental health.
The judges said: “All three of Dan Wootton’s stories show a showbiz journalist at the top of his game. The interviews show many years worth of earned trust as the celebrities shine a light on public interest issues: addiction, grief and cancer.”
BUSINESS, FINANCE AND ECONOMICS
Sponsored by TSB
Heidi Blake, Jane Bradley, Tom Warren, Richard Holme and Alex Campbell of Buzzfeed News for RBS Dash for cash.
The judges said: “This was stunning work which made your stomach churn. It was a forensic investigation based on thousands of leaked documents brought to life through interviews with the victims of this scandal.”
POLITICS
Channel 4 Dispatches for The Battle for the Labour Party
The judges said: “Of all this year’s entries the story this investigation uncovered was the most momentous for the future of British politics. The others might have been great scoops or great insights but they won’t have as much long-term impact as the undercover account of the transformation of a great political party.”
COMMENT JOURNALISM
Sponsored by Heineken
The Guardian’s Aditya Chakrabortty, whose articles include: “Your new iPhone’s features include oppression, inequality – and vast profit.”
The judges said: “Aditya Chakrabortty’s work is erudite and he uncovers the facts to back up his arguments. He writes with passion and authority on an unpredictable range of subjects. Whether you agree or not you have to admit that he expresses his views eloquently.”
CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Bournemouth University
Bryony Gordon and The Telegraph for Changing Minds.
The judges said: “As gripping as it is emotional, this campaign hits all the right buttons to drag the public’s attention to consider a subject all too often swept under the carpet. A global game-changer of a campaign.”
PHOTOJOURNALISM
Stefan Rousseau of the Press Association
The Judges said: “When terror came to Westminster and to the workplace of many journalists a combination of lightning reactions, nerves and skills enabled Stefan Rousseau to capture the moment in a dramatic series of shots. The best camera in the world is the one you’ve got with you at the right time. Stefan was there, and he had his camera.”
SCIENCE AND HEALTH JOURNALISM
Sponsored by Astellas
The late Steve Connor for his front page scoop for i: “One giant step for designer babies.”
The judges said: “This was a genuine world exclusive on a massive development in the world of science. It is a subject that many people don’t understand, but Steve Connor made it captivating and got it on the front page.
“With no access to embargoed information, this story was secured by old-fashioned source-based journalism after Steve heard that US researchers were working on techniques which would allow them to gentically modify embryos. A week later his story was confirmed by publication of an official study in the journal Nature.”
SPORTS JOURNALISM
Daniel Taylor of The Guardian for his reports on child abuse in football, including: “‘When I started talking to players about the abuse they suffered, I couldn’t believe how deep it ran into football’.”
The judges said: “Daniel Taylor’s journalism opened the floodgates and gave people the courage to speak out. These were compelling interviews, brilliantly researched which exposed a cancer at the heart of the national game.”
INFRASTRUCTURE, DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION
Sponsored by Mott MacDonald
Will Hurst of Architects’ Journal, for work including: “TfL hit by Garden Bridge conflict of interest claims”.
The judges said: “Will Hurst took an issue on which there was seeming consensus and poked away, digging out the scheme’s contradictions through freedom of information and other journalistic tools.”
POPULAR JOURNALISM
Nick Ferrari for work which included his headline-making interview with Diane Abbott.
The judges said: “Nick will be most remembered most this year for an interview with shadow home secretary Diane Abbott which proved to be a pivotal moment in the 2017 general election. Through calm and detailed questioning he created the ‘where were you’ moment of the election.”
FOREIGN AFFAIRS JOURNALISM
Sponsored by GibTelecom
Ramita Navai, Patrick Wells and Mais al-Bayaa of Channel 4 Dispatches for “ISIS and the Battle for Iraq”.
The judges said: “Ramila Naval’s reports for Channel 4 added something different and vital to understanding the future of Iraq: the role of the Shia militias and the fear they spread amongst Sunnis. Navai is brave (like everyone else this category) but she opened up a new road of understanding: cool, direct, inclusive, with a real sense of time and place.”
LOCAL HEROES
The Manchester Evening News for its coverage in the wake of the murder of 22 people by a terrorist at an Ariana Grande Concert.
The judges said: “The MEN is a newspaper that is sure of itself, knows its patch and showed complete commitment to covering both the initial story of the arena bombing and its aftermath.”
NEW JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Gareth Browne (freelance for The Times). His three shortlisted reports for The Times include his account of the massacre of more than 200 at a village to the south of Mosul.
The judges said: “He’s got the guts, he’s got the scoops, he’s got the talent – and on top of that he’s got youth and energy. A winning combination.”
SPECIALIST JOURNALISM
Peter Apps of Inside Housing for “A Stark Warning”, his report on the dangers posed to tower block safety by flammable cladding.
The judges said: “Simply outstanding investigative journalism covering one of the most shocking stories of our era. A strong understanding of traditional public interest value combined with the adoption of the latest technology in multi-media reporting.”
SCOOP OF THE YEAR
“Labour MP Keith Vaz and the prostitutes in his flat” by Nick Dorman for The Sunday Mirror.
The judges said: “This was the jaw dropping scoop of the year, totally backed up, brilliantly displayed and the one that made your eyes pop out of your head as you read it. A classic example of a newspaper exposing hypocrisy in the corridors of power.”
GLOBAL INVESTIGATION OF THE YEAR
“Abuse at the UN” by Karin Mattisson, Joachim Dyfwermark and Ola Christoffersson of Swedish Television’s Mission Investigate.
The judges said: “The UN is a big target and this investigation had huge impact. They found tand interviewed the victims in the Central African Republic, chased down the guilty parties and held those responsible to account.”
INVESTIGATION OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Transparency International
“Syria’s Disappeared: The Case Against Assad” by Lindsay Duncan, Nicola Cutcher, Sara Afshar and Callum Macrae for Channel 4 Dispatches.
The judges said: “The culmination of eighteen months of investigation, this documentary brought to light the hidden story of tens of thousands of Syrians disappeared by President Assad’s regime into a network of detention facilities.
“This investigation combined incredible research with poignant and moving testimonials. Powerful, shocking and impactful journalism combined with great story telling.”
THE MARIE COLVIN PRIZE
Erika Solomon of the Financial Times
The judges said: “Financial Times Middle East reporter Erika Solomon approaches her subjects with the same humane curiosity as Marie did and she writes in the same way too, bringing out through subtle observation and understatement the way that people cope in the most terrible circumstances. This is foreign reporting at its best.
“Her reports were strong, original and showed huge bravery. She is 31, an up and coming reporter in Marie’s mould.
“It was notably brave of her to visit Baba Amr, the district of Homs where Marie died, during an epic journey around Syria for the third of these pieces.”
NEWS PROVIDER OF THE YEAR
Inside Housing
The judges said: “Inside Housing was the one news organisation which was fighting for the interests of Grenfell Tower residents before this summer’s disastrous fire.
“It highlighted the dangers posed to tower block safety by flammable cladding panels weeks before the Grenfell tragedy. It went on to carry out forensic, impactful and painstaking research into fire safety at tower blocks around the country.
“’Grenfell: The Paper Trail’ sifted through seven years of documents to expose a council which put saving money at the forefront when it come to refurbishing properties and which ignored a 2010 fire safety review.”
JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Gorkana Jobs
Nick Ferrari
The judges said: “Eschewing the hectoring style often associated with heavy-hitting political interviews, Nick Ferrari’s focus on the facts, ability to think on his feet and lightness of touch secured his status as a star performer during the 2017 election campaign. As well as his famous encounter with Diane Abbott he also secured headline-grabbing interviews with Theresa May and Tim Farron.
“In 2017 he launched the Guard Our Emergency Staff campaign which prompted a 100,000 signature petition and helped bring about the Assaults on Emergency Workers Bill.
“As the Grenfell Fire still smoldered he interviewed former Chief Fire officer Ronnie King who revealed the government’s failure to act on safety recommendations following the Lakanal House fire in 2009. Nick Ferrari is quite simply the 2017 journalist of the year.”
