As entries flow in for the Regional Press Awards for 2018, the Society of Editors’ executive director has spoken of his hope that the emphasis on the digital expertise in local media underscores how the industry is fighting back.
This year’s awards, recognising editorial excellence during 2018, include several new categories looking to reward innovation and performance in the digital and data-driven areas of the modern regional newsroom.
“There may be an erroneous impression that local newspapers and newsrooms are not at the cutting edge of digital journalism, which is completely wrong,” commented the Society’s Ian Murray.
“Anyone who works in regional and local newspapers today understands that their papers will be making full use of the latest data-driven information and presenting it in ever more imaginative and innovative ways. That’s why the Regional Press Awards this year include such new categories as Data Journalist of the Year that seeks to reward the fantastic work being done to interpret the wealth of data available, bringing important information to local readers that helps them make decisions that affect their lives.
“The new Digital Live News and Sports Reporter categories recognise the local journalists who are working hard to take their on-line readers to the heart of the action in their areas as it happens.
“These are important skills to recognise, not only because they reward those journalists who have grasped the role such innovations play in the delivery of news, sport and information but also to enable the industry to shout about how it is working at the cutting edge of media skills,” added Murray.
The awards this year have also decided to recognise the growing excellence in free newspapers with a category for Free Weekly Paper of the Year, and also the growing number of magazines that are now produced by news publishing companies.
The awards, hosted by LBC’s Nick Ferrari, will take place at IET London, Savoy Place on Friday 17th May 2019.
The Society of Editors, supported by Camelot since 2001, organises the awards on behalf of the industry and they are made possible by the support of several sponsors including Cision, Google, Foot Anstey, Holdthefrontpage, the News Media Association and the Press Association.
Revenue generated by entry fees, table sales and sponsorship will pay for the not-for-profit awards programme and help to support the Journalists’ Charity.
Entries for the Regional Press Awards can be found at https://www.societyofeditors.org/events/regional-press-awards/enter-regional-press-awards-2018/ where this year there is renewed focus on digital journalism excellence.
Journalist have until Tuesday 5 March to submit entries.
