View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

Nightjack blogger to judge Orwell Prize

By Oliver Luft

Richard Horton, who was named by The Times newspaper as the author of the Nightjack blog earlier this year, has been named as one of eight judges for next year’s Orwell Prize.

Horton, a serving officer who won the inaugural Orwell blogging prize pseudonymous in April for his no-holds barred depiction of frontline policing, will join former Labour MP Oona King, now head of diversity at Channel 4, in judging entries for next year’s blog prize.

To much outcry, The Times named Horton as the Nightjack blogger in June after a protracted legal wrangle.

Fearing disciplinary measures would be taken against him Horton, a detective constable with the Lancashire constabulary, obtained a temporary injunction against the Times after a reporter discovered he was the officer behind the Nightjack blog,

However, in a landmark judgment Justice Eady overturned the injunction at the High Court, ruling that Horton had “no reasonable expectation of privacy”.

He and King will be joined by book prize judges Jonathan Heawood, director for English PEN, Andrew Holgate, literary editor of the Sunday Times and writer and broadcaster Francine Stock.

Writer, filmmaker and criminologist Roger Graef and Peter Kellner, president of YouGov, will judge the journalism prize.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

The prize, which celebrates political writing, has now begun accepting submissions for its 2010 awards.

Entries for the prize close on 20th January and winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on 19th May next year.

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network