Big news about a NEW award in 2024

Hi everyone,

The good news I want to spread is that there are a lot of people in the publishing industry that want to support schools. As I go around telling people about the Shine School Media Awards, drumming up interest (and sponsorship to make the project happen), I find amazing enthusiasm. If firms can’t send money, they want to help in other ways like judging the awards or offering work experience as a prize.

This week I have news which is a bit of a game-changer for next year’s awards. I’ve been talking for a few months to Doug Wills. He’s the Editor Emeritus of the London Evening Standard and Chair of the London Press Club. Keen to help schools and encourage the next generation of journalists, we’ve agreed that the London Press Club is going to back Shine by sponsoring a new award. We’re calling it…

• Scoop of the Year

What qualifies as a scoop? A great example is superstar alumni. We’ve seen schools bag interviews with (very) famous former students who’ve gone on to great things but still love coming home. Given teenagers invariably have the ability to ask questions even hardened hacks never would, these interviews tend to be a lot of fun.

Doug told us;

At the London Press Club we’re so proud to support the Shine School Media Awards for the first time. Newspaper journalism is one of the bedrocks of the UK’s vibrant media scene and we are thrilled to encourage the next generation of writers and editors.

Our London Press Club Scoop of the Year award recognises students who go the extra mile to find great stories on their doorstep. Whether that’s a revealing interview with a local politician, helping support a local public service under threat or telling a human interest story that makes the reader smile – we can’t wait to read all about it.

It’s my great hope this inspires students to find that exclusive story, or champion local issues – and I can’t wait to hand over the first Scoop of the Year award next July.

Don’t forget to register with us, or if you have any questions, do drop us a line at shine@stationers.org.

Til next time,

Richard
Chair of Shine

PS: just in case you need a reminder, here’s the full list of award categories