17 May 2019

The Star’s Molly Williams Wins Cathryn Nicoll Award

The Star’s Molly Williams has won the inaugural Cathryn Nicoll Award set up by the News Media Association during Journalism Matters to reward brilliant interviewing and feature writing by young regional press journalists.

Molly, a Local Democracy Reporter for The Star, Sheffield, and the Sheffield Telegraph, won the new prize for her in depth interview with the leader of Sheffield City Council who rarely spoke to the media.

Molly was presented with the award and £500 cash prize by NMA deputy chief executive Lynne Anderson at the Society of Editors Regional Press Awards last week – at which The Yellow Advertiser was also announced as Making a Difference winner – as the industry celebrated Journalism Matters which saw hundreds of newspapers unite to celebrate the power of journalism.

Journalism Matters was supported by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who contributed a written article backing the campaign, and Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright.   

The campaign was also backed by international bodies such as the News Media Alliance in the United States and WAN-IFRA as well as UK organisations such as the NCTJ which published a video message from its patron Alex Crawford and the Society of Editors.

Last Thursday, the industry showed readers how trusted news is produced by opening up their newsrooms for a #trustednewsday with titles such as Northern Echo, The Leader, Liverpool Echo, and Swindon Advertiser inviting readers to get involved, while the Daily Gazette published an explainer on court reporting.

In a piece for Journalism Matters, NMA chairman David Dinsmore called for the benefits of journalism to society to be properly acknowledged as appalling attacks on press freedom – such as the murder of journalist Lyra McKee – continue across the globe.  

Titles across the industry such as the Maidenhead Advertiser, The Sun, Leicester Mercury, The Courier, Express and Star, and The Yorkshire Post ran the piece alongside their other initiatives such as features and interviews with local politicians. The Stroud News and Journal and Hexham Courant carried articles with quotes from local MPs.  

Many titles such as the Hull Daily Mail and Manchester Evening News chose to celebrate the week by highlighting their own campaigning acheivements while the Worcester Observer produced a podcast on the future of local journalism. 

The Abergavenny Chronicle carried an interview with the chief executive of Tindle Newspapers Danny Cammiade who gave an insight into the newspaper industry and the future of papers like the Chronicle.

He said: “Newspapers still – and will do for some time to come – have significant audiences. Small, weekly newspapers particularly have a significant audience in each market for that to be a benefit and deliver results for those advertisers.”