Has your journalism made a difference? Entries for British Journalism Awards close 9am, 14 October

The third annual British Journalism Awards in association with TSB are now open for entries.

Organised by Press Gazette, this is the only major set of UK journalism prizes which are open to all journalists wherever they work and which have a particular emphasis on public interest journalism.

Last year the top prize of Journalist of the Year went to Michael Gillard in recognition of his brave exposure of the gangster David Hunt. Gillard could not attend the Stationers’ Hall reception partly because of concerns over his own security.

The 2012 Journalist of the Year was David Walsh (pictured above) in recognition of his 13-year investigation into Lance Armstrong.

The 14 award categories for 2014 also include:

• Business Journalist of the Year – sponsored by Tata Consultancy Services
• Sports Journalist of the Year – sponsored by the Hippodrome Casino, Leicester Square
• Science and Technology Journalist of the Year – sponsored by Astellas
• New Journalist of the Year – sponsored by Stationers' Crown Woods Academy
• Digital Innovation
• Foreign Affairs Journalist of the Year
• Politics Journalist of the Year
• Local Heroes Award
• Campaign of the Year
• Investigation of the Year
• Photojournalist of the Year
• The Breaking News Award (for the best story of the year)
• Journalist of the Year.
• The Marie Colvin Award. For the journalist who over the course of their career has done the most to raise the reputation of the trade of journalism.

This year there is also a new prize called the Local Heroes Award – for the journalist or team who has done the most to serve the public interest at local level or regional level

There are three new judges joining the 18-strong jury: former BBC Radio 4 The World Tonight presenter Robin Lustig, chairman of the National Council for the Training of Journalists Kim Fletcher and former Birmingham Mail editor Steve Dyson. Full list of judges at the bottom of this article.

Press Gazette editor Dominic Ponsford said: “The British Journalism Awards are intended to celebrate great journalism in the public interest in the tradition of The Sunday Times under Harold Evans and of Woodward and Bernstein.

“To win a British Journalism Award, work must be interesting to the public and in the public interest.

“It is up the judges to decide how to apply the public interest test, but they are looking for work which does more than just titillate and entertain.

“Whereas other journalism awards celebrate fine writing, or witty and incisive comment, these focus on journalism which is revelatory – where journalists have used their skill to probe, investigate and bring new information to light.”

The awards take place on 2 December 2014 at Stationers' Hall.

How to enter

Entries for the 2014 British Journalism Awards should be sent via email to britishjournalismawards@pressgazette.co.uk by 9am on 14 October 2014.

Up to three examples of work can be provided to support each entry as well as an optional supporting statement of up to 300 words.

Work should have have been first published or broadcast between 1 September 2013, and 31 August 2014.

Examples of work must be provided either as PDFs (for stories which have appeared in print) or as weblinks for work which needs to be viewed online. In the case of broadcast work entrants must provide a link to a website where it can be viewed or send clips via post on CD or memory stick format to British Journalism Awards, Press Gazette, John Carpenter House, John Carpenter Street, London EC4Y 0AN.

This year there is a fee of £50 (inc VAT) payable for each entry to help cover the increasing costs of running the event. Payment can be arranged via this secure website, or else email thomas.collinge@progressivemediagroup.com to arrange payment by invoice or direct to Press Gazette by debit or credit card.

Journalists can also be nominated at the discretion of the judges. Press Gazette reserves the right to waive the fee under exceptional circumstances.

Criteria:

The British Journalism Awards recognise work which is aimed at a UK audience.

The judges will be looking for journalism which is compelling, revelatory and which makes a difference. It must be both interesting to the public – and in the public interest.

It will be up to the judges to decide how to apply the public interest test, but they must look for a higher standard than just that a story is interesting to the public.

The judges will take into account the level of journalistic skill, professionalism and effort employed to bring new information to light. The work must tell readers something they did not already know.

• Business Journalist of the Year – sponsored by TATA Consultancy Services. For the journalist who has done the most to probe and investigate the world of business

• Sports Journalist of the Year – sponsored by the Hippodrome Casino. Aimed at the sports journalist who done the most to investigate the world of sport and serve the public interest

• Science and Technology Journalist of the Year – sponsored by Astellas. Aimed at journalists who cover science, health and technology with a focus on those involved in investigative features and news
  
• New Journalist of the Year (for someone who has been a journalist for three years or less). This award is for a relative newcomer to the industry (who may have worked in other jobs before). They must have been a journalist for less than 36 months
  
• Digital Innovation. For the journalist, or team, who has done the most to help secure the future of public interest journalism with a digital innovation. It could be a successful app, website or blog. Or for a piece of software or hardware. A successful paywall, or other, commercial strategy could also be considered
  
• Foreign Affairs Journalist of the Year. For the journalist working for a UK audience whose reports from overseas have done the most to serve the public interest. As with the other categories, this is open to journalists who work in print, online and broadcasting
  
• Campaign of the Year. For the series of articles or broadcasts which as done the most make a difference for the better in society and serve the public interest
  
• Investigation of the Year. For the most incisive and revelatory public interest investigation of the year
  
• Photojournalist of the Year. For the photographer whose work has done the most to serve the public interest
  
• The Breaking News Award. This is the prize for the best scoop of the year
  
• Local Heroes Award. For the journalist or team who has done the most to serve the public interest at a local level or regional level
  
• Politics Journalist of the Year. This award is aimed the journalist who has done the most to hold politicians to account, with an emphasis on revelation and investigation (rather than purely commentary)

• Journalist of the Year. For the outstanding journalist of the year. This may, or may not, go to someone who has entered another category
  
• The Marie Colvin Award. For the journalist who over the course of their career has done the most to raise the reputation of the trade of journalism. In previous years this prize has gone to foreign correspondents but it is open to all journalists who work mainly for a British audience.

Full list of judges:

• John Sweeney, long serving investigative journalist and former reporter for Panorama
  

• Neil Fowler – former editor of Which magazine, The Journal, Western Mail, Toronto Sun and Lincolnshire Echo
  

• Robin Lustig. Left the BBC after 23 years presenting The World Tonight on Radio 4. He has previously worked for Reuters and as home affairs editor of The Observer

• Kim Fletcher, formerly editorial director of the Telegraph Group, deputy editor of The Sunday Telegraph and editor of the Independent on Sunday. He is chairman of the National Council for the Training of Journalists and editor of the British Journalism Review

• Steve Dyson, former editor of the Evening Gazette in Teesside and the Birmingham Mail. Media consultant and special correspondent for BBC WM Radio

• Peter Preston, editor of The Guardian from 1975 to 1995

• John Dale, fomerly of The Observer, Daily Mail and editor of Take a Break for 20 years. Ten-time BSME Awards winner

• Liz Gerard, former night editor of The Times with 40 years experience in journalism – author of the SubScribe blog

• Fiona Fox, chief executive of the Science Media Centre

• Alan Geere, former editor of titles including The Tribune (USA), the Trinidad Express and the Northcliffe Media South East series

• Moira Sleight, managing editor of the Methodist Recorder

• John Mair, former BBC producer and editor of 10 books on journalism

• David Banks, former editor of the Daily Mirror, New York Daily News, Sydney Daily Telegraph

• Robin Morgan, former Sunday Times Magazine editor

• Peter Cole, emeritus professor of journalism at Sheffield University, former deputy editor of The Guardian and founder editor of the Sunday Correspondent

• Ian Reeves, former editor of Press Gazette now director of learning at the University of Kent journalism department

• Kurt Barling, former investigative journalist for the BBC now professor of journalism at Middlesex University
  

• Paul Charman, principle lecturer in journalism at the London College of Communications

• Frances Harrison, former BBC foreign correspondent and author of Still Counting the Dead
  

Professor Jane Singer, of City University in London

• Dominic Ponsford, editor of Press Gazette

The 2014 British Journalism Awards in association with TSB are sponsored by:

The 2014 British Journalism Awards are supported by:

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