BBC Four has received its first nominations for the Royal Television Society Journalism Awards, due to take place next week.
The BBC, put forward for a total of 16 awards, will be hoping its fledgling channel’s news report, Assassination Attempt – based on the thwarted plan to murder Afghan leader Hamid Karzai – wins the best international news story, ahead of opposition ITN’s Channel 4 News and CNN.
James Reynolds is vying for young journalist of the year, for two reports on the programme and one for Newsnight.
For best home news story, both BBC News and Newsnight have been nominated for their respective reports on the Manchester firefighters and replica guns, against Channel 4 News’s piece on Omagh, Northern Ireland.
Channel 4 News and Newsnight will fight it out for news programme of the year, while the battle for RTS TV journalist of the year is between the BBC’s Panorama reporter Jane Corbin, Peter Taylor for BBC One and BBC Two, and CNN’s Nic Robertson. Lindsey Hilsum of ITN Channel 4 News has been nominated for the specialist journalism award – one of ITN’s nine nominations – against BBC political editor Andrew Marr for BBC One and News 24 and Taylor again for BBC One and BBC Two.
Sky News is up for five awards, including Jeremy Thompson for presenter of the year; news event, for its report on the murders in Soham; Jayne Sacker, for young journalist of the year; innovation; and camera operator of the year.
The news channel and programme of the year nominations will be announced on the night at the London Hilton on 26 February.
By Wale Azeez
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
