A recovering alcoholic has reported on the need to teach children about the dangers of drink for ITV News after winning a competition aimed at communities who are under-represented in the media.
Self-employed builder Toby Winson (pictured) was named the winner of the 2019 Breaking into News competition, run by the charity Media Trust in partnership with ITV News, last week.
Winson, from Broadstairs in Kent, produced his report over six weeks, with the help of ITV News mentor Chloe Oliver, and was selected by a panel from hundreds of entries and ten regional finalists.
Having previously blogged about his experiences with alcohol, Winson said he wanted to “raise awareness to an important issue” and reach a wider audience with his report, which aired on ITV News on 23 July.
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“This is absolutely unreal,” Winson said of winning the competition. “I can’t thank Media Trust and ITV enough for picking me. I saw everyone’s reports and they were all insanely good, so I’m really grateful.
“Seeing the two hundred words I had written down in my application, transformed into a proper news story and aired on TV has been unbelievable.
“I wanted to raise awareness to an important issue and with the help of ITV and Media Trust I’ve been able to do so.”
Mariah Sharp, a student from Wellingborough, and London youth worker Katie Orchard were runners-up in the competition.
Orchard looked at pupil referral units in her story while Maria reported on autism-friendly workplaces for ITV Anglia.
The competition is in its eighth year and is open to people from all backgrounds who have had little or no experience in the media.
Previous finalists have gone on to work in ITV News regional roles.
Picture: Media Trust
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