Don Hale added more strain to his awards cabinet last week, winning Midlands Weekly News Journalist of the Year at the 2000 BT Media Award regional finals.
Judges described the editor of the Matlock Mercury as "an inspiration to every journalist in the country" for his successful 6-year campaign to free Stephen Downing for the murder of Bakewell typist Wendy Sewell.
In the same week, Hale was awarded the Press Gazette’s British Press Awards 2001 Special Award for Outstanding Journalism.
The www.westmidlands.com, Wolverhampton Express & Star, for Website Publication of the Year. The regional winners will go to the national final on June 13 at the Tower Thistle Hotel.
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