The Press and Journal’s campaign to help people struggling with bills during the cost-of-living crisis has been named one of the best news initiatives in the country.
Our Big Food Appeal – a joint effort with the Evening Express and Original 106 – is just one of a string of stories and projects and journalists that have made the shortlist for the prestigious annual Scottish Press Awards.
They include everything from a documentary revealing new information about the disappearance of Shaun Ritchie and an investigation of the north-east drug trade to amazing pictures of the region’s top sporting fixtures and a wry look at how to spell John O’Groats (or is it John o’Groats).
No fewer than a dozen of our entries have been picked to battle it out with other well-known titles in the contest organised by the Scottish Newspaper Society.
There are plenty of appearances on the shortlists too for our DC Thomson colleagues, with The Courier and Sunday Post in the mix for a number of trophies.
The winners are due to be announced at a ceremony in September.
Aberdeen Journals editor-in-chief Frank O’Donnell said he was delighted with the recognition of the breadth and quality of the journalism produced by the P&J team last year.
“We already know that these stories and campaigns were winners – you only have to see how many people signed up to read them on our site and the positive reactions they got from the public.
“It is always an added bonus though to get the endorsement of our peers in the industry and to be able to show that we are among the very best titles in Scotland.
“Over the past 12 months, the team has worked tirelessly as we completely transformed our newsroom to focus more than ever on the sort of content we know a modern audience wants to read.
“This success shows that they achieved all that without any dip in the very high standards our readers have rightly come to expect from everything the P&J does.”
Here are the P&J shortlisted entries with some examples of the work that’s been praised by the judges:
Local/weekly campaign of the year
Team of the Year
Data team
World War One virtual memorial
The 5,025 Aberdeen WW1 victims: Search their names, ages, ranks and addresses
Local/Weekly Reporter of the Year
Sean O’Neil
Dale Haslam
Sports Photographer of the Year
Wullie Marr
Specialist Reporter of the Year
Lindsay Bruce, Obituaries Writer
She waited for her twin then breathed her last breath: Aberdeen’s Sammy Ho dies aged 24
Local/Weekly Feature Writer of the Year
Neil Drysdale
The remarkable story of Ewan Forbes
When Elizabeth became Ewan and a court case sparked a media frenzy in Aberdeenshire
Craig Munro
How do you really spell John O’Groats?
John Oh? Groats: A search for the true name of the UK’s most famous village
Nicola Barry Award
Alex Watson
My own experience of sexual assault
Podcast of the Year
The Stooshie – The P&J and The Courier’s weekly look at politics
Columnist of the Year
Catherine Deveney
Bay City Roller’s long battle to accept and forgive himself was won just in time
Catherine Deveney: Les McKeown’s long battle to accept and forgive himself was won just in time
And here are the other shortlisted entries from DC Thomson titles
Arts and Entertainment Journalist of the Year
Stephen Gallacher, The Sunday Post
Alice Hinds, The Sunday Post
Campaign of the Year
The Sunday Post Shaming
Food and Drink Writer of the Year
Murray Chalmers, The Courier
Front Page of the Year
The Courier
The Sunday Post
Interviewer of the Year
Stephen Eighteen, The Courier
Journalism Team of the Year
The Sunday Post, COP26
The Sunday Post, Afghanistan
Local/Weekly Feature Writer of the Year
Michael Alexander, The Courier Weekend Magazine
News Photographer of the Year
Mhairi Edwards, The Courier and Evening Telegraph
News Website of the Year
The Courier
Nicola Barry Award
Marion Scott, The Sunday Post
Podcast of the Year
The Courier – Talking Football
Reporter of the Year
Marion Scott, The Sunday Post
The full list of shortlisted entries can be found here.
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