The Journal wears a 2007 birthday crown
12 MAY 2007
It was a birthday night to remember for the staff of The Journal in Newcastle when they picked up the North East Newspaper of the Year title on the exact anniversary of their first issue 175 years ago.
They celebrated with a total of seven trophies in the Tom Cordner North East Press Awards, the largest regional media event in the UK, which covers titles from North Yorkshire to the Scottish border and is sponsored by the Campaign North East England.
The paper, originally The Newcastle Journal, first appeared on 12 May 1832. Editor Brian Aitken, said it was a terrific night for the paper, which was all thanks to whole team.
It was the paper’s fourth Newspaper of the Year title, which is sponsored by the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC).
BBC journalist Jeremy Vine presented the awards and was guest speaker. He spoke of his admiration for ‘proper trained journalists’ in an age when anybody with a computer seemed to be able to call themselves a journalist. He described the regional press as the ‘glorious side of journalism,’ adding: ‘You are journalists, real journalists, and all worthy of these wonderful awards.’
Many of the 25 Cordner trophies are 20-plus-years-old distinctive and unique pieces of craftsmanship, from the original two-feet tall bronze Cordner Quill for the top trainee journalist, to wood carvings, Sunderland glass, and an old-style sub-editors’ spike in polished brass.
The Journal’s stable-mate the Evening Chronicle landed the overall Journalist of the Year honours for their investigative reporter Adam Jupp, but The Journal’s own Chloe Griffiths was North East Young Journalist of the Year. Other Journal winners were Daniel Cochlin (Hard News), Sam Wonfor (Arts), Alastair Gilmour (Business), Jane Hall (Consumer Affairs) and Babette Decker (Page Design)
The Hexham Courant retained its title as North East Weekly Newspaper, and two of their staff repeated their success of last year: Lyndsey Wright, the Weekly Journalist award, and Brian Tilley as Columnist of the Year. Paul Kingston of the Tyneside-based North News & Pictures agency, captured a brace of trophies as Photographer of the Year and for Picture of the Year. His winning image showed police officers mourning a colleague who was killed on duty. Magazine of the year was North East Lifestyle.
An award for a lifetime contribution to journalism, which is made by the Society of Editors (North), was presented to Andrew Smith. Now a media relations consultant, he is a former editor of the Northern Echo, Bolton Evening News, Sunderland Echo, Hartlepool Mail, Northumberland Gazette and Times Free Press Group. He had also served as one of this year’s six judges for the regular Cordner awards.
Reporters, specialist writers, sub-editors, photographers and their editors from nearly 20 news organisations in the region, sent in 280 entries for the 26th annual Cordner contest. The total was slightly up on last year.
Stacy Hall, Director of Communications and Tourism for regional development agency ONE NorthEast, that runs the Campaign for North East England, said: “The press awards are a fantastic celebration of the high standard of Journalism in North East England which stands comparison with anywhere else in the country. Without the support of the region’s media, the ‘Passionate people. Passionate places’ campaign would not have been the success it has been and we hope to continue to build on the strong media relationships we have established to ensure the positive stories about the region continue to be told.”
The North East Press Awards began as a tribute by fellow journalists to Tom Cordner who was news editor of the Hartlepool Mail when died, aged 38, in 1976.