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Every year, thirty stars are born. A

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The UK boasts one of the most vibrant media sectors in the world. British-trained journalists are sought after across the globe and is a magnet for some of the most talented international journalists seeking to join this thriving industry.

It is encouraging to see that despite countless surveys The range of subjects covered is also an interesting in which reporters often figure as the UK’s least popular reflection of the UK and wider world in 2018. We saw people, there is no shortage of young and talented articles about acid attacks, knife crime and the plight people who want to work in the media. of migrants. Gender identity, the impact of and tattoos also featured widely. 30 to Watch is in its seventh year and it is not an exaggeration to say we have been overwhelmed this There was so much good work it was almost impossible year by the quality and volume of entries. Our judges to single out 30 winners. Our key criterion is that each looked through cuttings, clips, social posts, long reads, winner has achieved something remarkable and shows videos and graphic sequences from almost 400 huge promise for the future. journalists under the age of 30. We are proud that the growing list of 30 To Watch The material we looked at was published in 97 alumni boasts many names like Jim Waterson, Sophy different titles, from the mainstream to the exotic. Ridge and Isabel Hardman that were relatively unknown The was the leader in terms of when they won, but are instantly recognisable. the numbers – with 23 journalists submitting an entry. We hope that this year’s 30 winners will also go on to 30 To Watch is a useful barometer of the media achieve even greater success. We congratulate them industry – the variety of titles illustrates the impact of and wish them well. digital , as no subject is too niche to warrant coverage. A vibrant media industry relies on young people with ideas, energy and new skills to communicate with an audience who have not grown on , TV and radio alone. MHP AND 30 TO WATCH by Adam Batstone

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MHP HAS BEEN The truth is that the lines are MHP is helping its clients navigate CELEBRATING THE BEST blurring and fewer young journalists this new networked world – where YOUNG JOURNALISTS can or want to rely on only one kind influencers come in many forms and IN BRITAIN SINCE 2012. of work. That’s a key reason why we an individual often has more impact THE EVENT HAS GROWN have changed the format this year – than a single column or slot would S IN STATURE EVERY YEAR to reflect that shift in the industry. ever provide. These awards help AND THIS YEAR WE HAVE us understand the changing of This year we asked our entrants influence and the young people who RECEIVED MORE ENTRIES to submit work in different subject shape our collective understanding THAN EVER BEFORE. categories: news, politics, health, of the world. lifestyle, financial, business & trade, Looking back at the original list campaign and innovation. We felt The record-breaking number of of winners, it is interesting to see this was a better reflection of how entries has produced the most that the large majority worked journalists work than dividing into eclectic range of nominations in the for national newspapers – categories based on the medium history of the Awards. By broadening Jack Sidders of Construction they work in. the range of categories, we have been News was a notable exception. able to celebrate a wider array of talent. This pattern is one we see reflected Spool to this year and our in the world of public relations and Looking forward, we hope that 30 to 30 winners are from a very diverse communications, where clients are Watch can help to promote diversity set of titles; still many responding to changes in the media in the industry by giving a platform journalists – but plenty of digital and seeking news ways to reach to the widest range of voices – and natives, regional, broadcast and their audience. we will be working hard to encourage trade journalists too. more young people to enter the awards B in future. MHP AND 30 TO WATCH

7 YEARS OF 30 TO WATCH 6 TOP JUDGES 367 ENTRIES FROM ACROSS THE MEDIA - A NEW RECORD 28 MEDIA BRANDS SPECIAL 97 REPRESENTED COMMENDATIONS THE 2018 WINNERS INCLUDE:

13 NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE JOURNALISTS Control Mission MHP 8 BROADCAST JOURNALISTS 4 JOURNALISTS FROM DIGITAL NATIVE BRANDS 4 SPECIALIST MEDIA JOURNALISTS OUR PRESENTERS

DAVID DINSMORE David is the Chief Operating Officer of News UK, the company where he has spent the large majority of his journalistic career. He had a rapid rise through the ranks from a junior reporter for the Scottish to being appointed as editor of newspaper in 2013. As COO he is now focused on developing UK operation including the company’s commitment to fostering the careers of young journalists.

JAY RAYNER Jay has gained fame as one of Britain’s best known restaurant critics. He is a multi-award winning journalist who has written extensively about the industry as well as social and political issues. In addition to his journalistic and broadcast work, jay has also written four novels and is an accomplished jazz pianist. As a previous winner of the British Press Awards Young Journalist of the Year, Jay is committed to encouraging young people to make a career in the media. OUR JUDGES

AISHA GANI JO WILLEY DAVID FORD Aisha is a former 30 To Watch winner Jo is the former Health Editor at the David is an Executive Editor at who won in 2017 for her work as a and has worked on CNN International with responsibility senior reporter at Buzzfeed. She has national newspapers for almost 20 for news output from the US network’s recently re-located to for a new years. She now runs Jo Willey Media, bureau. He has a long career job with +. She specialises a media consultancy business working in broadcast news as one of the original in writing about issues and people with PR agencies, pharmaceutical team of producers on BBC Radio 5 whose stories are not always told – companies, charities and businesses, Live and the BBC News Channel. He spending several weeks with advising on everything from storytelling, left the BBC to manage Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh – media and corporate strategy to News where he was responsible for from where she reported for BBC campaigns and media training. developing the careers of a team Radio. Aisha uses social media She is also a meeting facilitator and of young reporters and presenters, throughout her reporting and as a freelance, is a member of, and many of whom have gone on to has 25,000 followers on . Collective Media Maestro for, The become household names. Difference Collective. She still works as a freelance journalist.

CAMILLA MANKABADY PETER CAMPBELL ROGER ALTON Camilla is a programme editor Peter is the ’ global Roger is currently a freelance for ITV News where she is one Motor Industry Correspondent, based journalist, working as a contributing of a small team responsible for the in London. He joined the FT three editor at the . He has edited News at Ten and ITV Evening News. years ago after five years at the Daily and , She joined ITV after many years at Mail, first on the graduate training and was Executive Editor of the BBC News where she was an output scheme and then for four years on . He worked on editor of the BBC News at Ten and business desk covering energy, media, in several roles, including Sports BBC News at Six. She has a particular telecoms, technology, industry and Editor, Magazine Editor, Editor, interest in developing the careers of tax. He was named Young Journalist and Features Editor. He also writes young journalists, and is dedicated of the Year at the British Press Awards a sports column for . to encouraging more diversity for 2014, and was winner of MHP’s in the newsroom. 30 To Watch Gold Award in 2013. Alpha CRA NASA, ESA 500 LY A

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BUSINESS/TRADE CAMPAIGN Gold Award Gold Award

James Phillips Sabah Meddings Natasha Preskey Professional Pensions Freelance

James graduated from City, Since joining the Sunday Times in Natasha is a freelance journalist who University of London in 2016 with June 2017, Sabah has been thriving has really got under the skin of her an MA in Newspaper , in one of the most competitive specialist subject area. The judges and from the University of Birmingham newsrooms around. The judges noted were impressed by the quality of her in 2015 with a BA in Political Science her impressive writing across a range work – and by the impressive range and Philosophy. James joined of subjects and breaking stories, with of titles who are publishing her work. Professional Pensions in June 2016 special praise reserved for her lively Mental health has gone from being as a correspondent and has swiftly reporting on the pharmaceutical a topic that was brushed under the established himself as a high quality industry. She began her journalism carpet, but is now being taken writer across the pensions and career at the Evening News increasingly seriously across the investment space, whether that be and has also worked at the Daily Mail. media. Natasha’s efforts to highlight law and regulation of UK occupational the issue and her interesting slant on pension schemes, investment strategy, Isabelle Fraser how it is reported are refreshing and as well as the de-risking process for The Telegraph a commendable contribution to defined benefit schemes. The judges challenging taboos and prejudices. were particularly impressed by the Isabelle has risen rapidly through the breadth of topics covered by James, ranks at the Telegraph, having joined along with his depth of knowledge newspaper as a trainee and understanding of some of the reporter in 2014. She was appointed most acute issues faced by UK as Property Editor in March 2018 after pension schemes. two years building her expertise on the sector as a business reporter. This experience shone through for the judges in her very clear writing style, robust analysis and strong reporting.

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FINANCIAL Gold Award

Lucy Alderson William Turvill Lucy White Construction News Mail on Sunday City AM

The construction industry is still Previously chief City reporter at Previously a reporter at Real Deals, dominated by men, but that is City AM and news editor at the Lucy joined City AM almost exactly changing as more women are being , William moved a year ago in a role which sees her encouraged to break down stereotypes. to last year. The judging primary focuses being private equity, The judges were really impressed panel noted William’s strong asset management and financial by Lucy’s reporting for Construction writing ability, and were particularly regulation. Lucy holds a Bachelor of News which tackles taboos and impressed by his breaking of news Law LLB from UCL. Judges noted industry prejudice head on. stories across a range of sectors Lucy’s ability to consistently break and in-depth reporting of into stories on a hotly-contested and Peter Coulter RBS’s settlement with the RBoS difficult beat while working in one BBC Spotlight Shareholders’ Action Group. of the most demanding newsrooms in print journalism. Peter specialises in choosing subjects which are outside the mainstream. Hannah Murphy As a reporter for BBC Northern Financial Times Ireland’s Spotlight programme he has looked at what becomes of migrants Previously a data journalist for the who try to make a new home in Financial Times, Hannah joined the and raised awareness newspaper’s Financial Services team of people who are on the margins of from her previous role on the World society. His feature about a News desk and Trading Room, where woman seeking to join the Orange she covers UK stockbrokers, online Order was particularly notable. retail traders, professional service firms and UK executive search firms. Hannah has been quick in establishing herself as a very able journalist with a great deal of potential. Her ability to get to grips with testing and emerging areas such as Bitcoin was illustrated by a full-page splash on the topic. WINNERS’ BIOGRAPHIES

HEALTH INNOVATION Gold Award Gold Award

Patrick Russell Sarah Graham McKenna Grant Science and Health Producer, Freelance Senior Snapchat Editor, ITV News The Telegraph After starting her career in news Patrick joined ITV as an Assistant journalism, Sarah Graham has been McKenna began her journalistic career News Editor in 2013. With a background working as a freelance features writer in the US where she worked for USA in , he has turned his since 2012. Sarah specialises in women’s Today. After coming to the UK she has passion for health and medical issues, covering reproductive health, worked for the Telegraph where she breakthroughs into news journalism. mental health, and lifestyle. Sarah has is helping to change the way news is Specialising in health, he has covered written for national newspapers and reported to reach a new audience who both UK policy and global health, a broad range of women’s magazines, have lost the newspaper buying habit. including the NHS winter crisis, nurse including Grazia, Broadly and McKenna impressed the judges with staffing levels and drug-resistant The Debrief. the way she tells complex stories through diseases. His proactive approach the means of Snapchat. The format to journalism has led to agenda- Alex Matthews-King enables her to combine text, audio, setting reporting, covering stories Health Correspondent, video and graphics in a narrative which both in the UK and internationally. The Independent is concise, attractive to younger audiences but maintains the important elements Alex Matthews-King joined The Stephen Matthews of rigour and high editorial standards Assistant Health Editor, Independent in 2017, having worked for which the Telegraph is famous. Mail Online at Pulse, a GPs’ trade magazine since 2013. Alex has covered breaking health Starting his career as a freelance news, including mental health services, reporter, Stephen joined the Mail the NHS and medical research. Online in 2016. Here, he has covered a breadth of agenda-setting stories, including women’s health, medical research and health service policy. WINNERS’ BIOGRAPHIES

LIFESTYLE Gold Award

Emily Cooke Tolani Shoneye Jennifer Savin Science and Technology Buzzfeed/Freelance Cosmopolitan Facilities Council After graduating from Brunel University Jennifer is one of the fastest rising Emily has achieved a lot in a short in Media and Communications, Tolani stars in the industry with her progress space of time working as a journalist for has demonstrated her ambition and from intern to features writer taking the Science and Technology Facilities creativity. Her continued success just 2 years. She has shown grit and Council. Science is an important source as host of The Receipts has determination to take opportunity of news stories and journalists like led it to be nominated for three awards where it presented itself by starting Emily who understand how to make and sold out shows. This brought out as a contributor for Essex the complex comprehensible are about an opportunity to work on Life magazine. The judges were a valuable addition to any newsroom. 1Xtra. During her time in media, she particularly impressed by her recent has shown an ability to be flexible with feature highlighting the plight of Jack Homan content in both print and digital on renters being sexually exploited 5 News lifestyle, fashion, beauty and features. by unscrupulous landlords. This ability has led her to write over Jack has excelled at visual story-telling. 500 posts with some pieces gaining Nalini Sivathasan Since he joined 5 News, he’s brought over 2 million views and has allowed BBC Asian Network a freshness and energy to the output her to work for the likes of Buzzfeed. and helped to push at the boundaries Nalini represents an exciting new of what ‘broadcast news graphics generation of young journalists who should look like. He is helping to change have embraced technology to tell the nature of what news graphics stories in a different and compelling should be in a multi-platform world. way. She has worked at both the Financial Times and BBC Asian Network where she has used the opportunity to challenge stereotypes. Her recent feature on the rise of tattoos among young Asians was picked out for praise by the judges. WINNERS’ BIOGRAPHIES

NEWS Gold Award

Adam Crafton Tom Macleod Daily Mail

After graduating from Cambridge Tom has had a rapid progression where he won awards for his student through the broadcast journalism journalism, Adam has established ranks and is now a regular presenter himself as one of the brightest young on Sky News. He began his career talents in sports writing and sports in local radio in his native news journalism. He has already been before joining Sky Radio and then recognised as young sports writer Sky News. He has been the main on of the year – not least for his exclusive air presenter during some major interview with former Chelsea striker breaking stories like the Nice bombing Diego Costa who he tracked down in and the Turkish attempted coup. after he left the The judges were impressed by his winners. Adam studied languages authoritative style and determined at university and he believes being questioning. able to conduct interviews in his interviewee’s native tongue has helped Sian Boyle his reporting. He got his break by doing Daily Mail a week work experience at Mail Online which was extended and finally led to Sian is a graduate of the prestigious him being offered a job as City University journalism school reporter for Mail Online sport. The where she studied interactive judges were struck by his determination journalism. She joined Mail Online and by the variety and quality of as part of the graduate scheme Adam’s work so early in his career. and has recently been appointed The Daily Mail’s Investigations reporter. Her recent stories include uncovering a high-tech car theft scam and the prevalence of plastic particles in shop bought fish. The judges chose Sian for her impressive portfolio of consistently high standard reporting. Mu 1 Scorpii HUBBLE TELESCOPE 600 LY

a source stories of and as a research tool. He is alsohelping ensure to that people whose not voices always have been heard in the mainstream media are given a platform. His recent work on knife and his Guardian long read article about the Instagram of wolves both impressed the judging panel. Meaker Morgan Freelance Since graduating from UCL Morgan has established herself as a successful human covering reporter freelance rights issues from a variety countries. of Her worked has appeared in some theof world’s most respected media titles. In addition her to journalism, own Morgan works help to young journalists backgrounds under-privileged from Symeon Brown Symeon C4 News Symeon is representative the of growing number young of journalists who are using social media both as getto their work published.

WINNERS’ BIOGRAPHIES a week on £5 worth food. of Sian’s commitment a career to in journalism goes back her to school and university – she days helped for conference annual the organise student journalists. She joined Trinity Mirror and has been making a big impact as social media and homepage editor for Live. She was highly commended at last year’s NCTJ judges andawards the Watch 30 to particularly herwere impressed by use social of media source to stories in her and patch a fantastic feature piece in which she tried for live to Sian Elvin Elvin Sian Kent Live NEWS NEWS WINNERS’ BIOGRAPHIES

POLITICAL Gold Award

Alex Wickham Rachel Watson Bianca Nobilo , GQ Scottish Daily Mail CNN

Alex is News Editor of the Guido Rachel began her career in her Bianca graduated from the University Fawkes political blog, one of native Scotland, as an intern for the of Warwick with a BA in History, and Westminster’s leading political news Evening News. She later holds a MSc in Comparative Politics and gossip websites. Writing under worked as a freelance journalist from the London School of Economics. the pseudonym Wiki Guido, Alex reporting on a variety of areas including After starting her career with various has uncovered and reported upon politics, social issues, human interest roles in the House of Commons, Bianca of agenda-setting scoops stories and health, with her work joined CNN as a writer and producer in Westminster and beyond. He is being published by a wide selection in November 2015. She has recently also Gossip Columnist at GQ and, of outlets, including . taken on the role of co-host of CNN prior to this, had a regular column in Rachel joined the Scottish Daily Mail Today and reports on UK politics for the Sun on Sunday. in 2014 as a reporter, and in 2016 was a global audience. appointed the Deputy . Lewis Goodall Asa Bennett Sky News The Telegraph Lewis is Political Correspondent for Asa attended the prestigious City Sky News. He reports on politics up University journalism school, where and down the country and was one he graduated with a Masters in political of Sky’s presenters for election night journalism. He worked as a politics coverage in 2017. Prior to this, he intern and then as a business reporter reported for BBC , the for the Huffington Post, before joining programme, the Telegraph as Assistant Comment Radio 4 and BBC World TV. Following Editor. Asa now works as his graduation from St John’s College, Commissioning Editor, where he writes Oxford in 2010, Lewis worked in the the Telegraph’s daily Brexit Bulletin United States Congress and as an and reports on the major talking points Entente Cordiale scholar in Paris. in Westminster, Brussels and beyond. HIGHLY COMMENDED

Adam Payne Georgina Pearce Mollie Goodfellow Business Insider BBC News Freelance Alexandra Thompson Grant Tucker Natasha Clark Mail Online The Times The Sun Annabelle Collins Jack Leeming Rachael Krishna Health Service Journal Nature Buzzfeed Basia Cummings Jayna Rana Rory Carson Huffington Post Investment Week BBC Radio 5 Live Cyan Turan Jessica Howe Sam Agini Red Magazine Sky News Financial News Dan Bloom Mayes Shivali Best Bloomberg Trinity Mirror Daniel Rosney Laura Onita Sophia Imeson BBC Newsbeat Financial Times Ed Malnick Lea Legraien Tom Knowles Daily Telegraph The Pharmacist The Times Francesca Rice Martha Holeyman Yara Silver Prima Magazine C4 News Daily Mirror Murray Refinery 29 A

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2017 Gold Award Winners

Finola Miles Harriet Line Helen Whitehouse ITV News Press Association Trinity Mirror Jane Bradley Kate Proctor Henry Zeffman Buzzfeed Evening Standard The Times Megan Lucero Katie Morley Timothy Revell The Bureau of Investigative Daily Telegraph New Scientist Journalism Kirsten Jones Tom Payne Thomas Hale Express Magazine Daily Mail Financial Times Martha Kelner Michael Wilkinson Matthew Quinton Daily Mail/The Guardian The Telegraph The Sun Oliver Duggan Aisha Gani The Guardian Buzzfeed News Oscar Williams-Grut Amber Rolt Business Insider Estates Gazette Rachel Coburn Charlie Cooper BBC News Ruje Yasmin Cherry Wilson ITV News BBC News Sarah Biddlecombe Chloe Cornish Stylist Financial Times Simon Peach Clare McDonald Press Association Sport Computer Weekly Hayley Dixon Courtney Cameron Daily Telegraph Helen Ann Smith Daisy Wyatt Sky News iNews FORMER WINNERS

2016 Gold Award Winners

Rossalyn Warren Luke Jones Marion Dakers Buzzfeed BBC Daily Telegraph Lee Price Amelia Butterly Sebastian Joseph The Sun BBC Newsbeat The Drum Larisa Brown Jamie Ross Jeremy Cliffe Daily Mail Buzzfeed Simon Murphy Andy Pearce Patrick Kingsley Mail on Sunday Financial News The Guardian Darren McCaffrey Seb Payne Sam Blackledge Sky News Financial Times Plymouth Herald Arbuthnott Conrad Quilty-Harper Caroline O’Donoghue The Sunday Times GQ The Pool Tyrone Francis Lauren Probert ITV News The Sun Vicki Owen Phoebe Luckhurst Mail on Sunday Jessica Hamzelou Ben Riley-Smith New Scientist The Telegraph Luke Lythgoe Lucy Fisher Press Association The Times Tara Mulholland Jamie Clifton Sky News VICE Kate McCann Marie Le Conte The Telegraph London Evening Standard FORMER WINNERS

2015 Gold Awards Winners

Annabelle Dixon Niamh Anderson Martin Jeffries The Sun on Sunday Sky Digital Vincent Mcaviney Chris Berkin Miles Johnson ITV Estates Gazette Financial Times Radhika Sanghani Daniel Binns Dave Lee Daily Telegraph Metro UK BBC News Oliver Smith Ellie Broughton Georgina Leggate The Memo Pulse Good Morning Britain John Stevens Marion Dakers Costas Pitas Daily Mail Daily Telegraph Neela Debnath Alix Robertson VICE The Independent Funds George Eaton Harriet Russell Investors Chronicle Natalie Edwards Kadhim Shubber The Sun on Sunday Financial Times Reni Eddop-Lodge Pandora Sykes Freelance The Sunday Times Style Magazine Hannah Ellis-Petersen Jennifer Williams The Guardian Matthieu Favas Robyn Wilson Infrastructure Investor Construction News Alex Hern Victoria Woollaston The Guardian Daily Mail FORMER WINNERS

2014 Gold Awards Winners

Memphis Barker Gemma Aldridge Jenny Manning Independent/i The Sun Neil Maidment Joanna Bourke Lara O’Reilly Reuters Estates Gazette Marketing Week Lily Russo Thomas Bridge Lizzie Pook Grazia Local Government News Stylist Nick Stylianou Rebecca Clancy Darragh Riordan Sky News Daily Telegraph Real Deals Jim Waterson Chloe Culpan James Robertson Buzzfeed UK Sky News Radio Mirror Online Tom Edwards Duncan Robinson The Sun Financial Times Boudicca Fox-Leonard Samira Shackle Daily Mirror Freelance Jenny Francis Chris Smyth The Sun The Times Kate Hodge Tommy Stubbington The Guardian Dow Jones Newswires, (Europe Edition) Kat Lay The People Sarah Tooze Fleet News James Leyfield Bang Showbiz Rhiannon Williams Daily Telegraph Ajay Makan Financial Times Jessica Winch Daily Telegraph Saranne Woodcroft Vogue UK

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2013 Gold Awards Winners

Emily Ashton Ben Griffiths The Sun The Guardian The People Kaya Burgess Sophie Borland Josh Halliday The Times Daily Mail The Guardian Peter Campbell Michael Bow Kathryn Hopkins Daily Mail City AM The Times Isabel Hardman Susannah Butter Dan Hyde The Spectator Evening Standard Daily Mail Tom Rayner Tina Campanella John Kenchington Sky News Freelance Investment Adviser Jon Swaine Robert Cookson David Keohane Daily Telegraph Financial Times FT Alphaville Andrew Dagnell Hannah Kuchler ITV Financial Times Rachel Dalton Ben Martin Professional Pensions Daily Telegraph Anjuli Davies Simon Murphy Reuters Daily Mail Dan Dunkley Juliet Samuel The Times Adam Gabbatt Chris Spillane The Guardian Bloomberg Emily Gosden Michael Stothard Daily & Sunday Telegraph Financial Times FORMER WINNERS

2012 Gold Awards Winners

Lucy Tobin Harry Cole Graham Ruddick Evening Standard Guido Fawkes Daily Telegraph Patrick Kingsley Kiran Stacey Peter Stiff The Guardian FT The Times Sophy Ridge Amber Elliott Emma Wall Sky News Total Politics Daily Telegraph Billy Kenber Matthew Holehouse Jennifer Thompson The Times Daily Telegraph Financial Times Daniel Knowles Laura Pitel Alexandra Stevenson Daily Telegraph The Times Financial Times Joshi Herrmann Ed Hammond Evening Standard Financial Times Rowena Mason Toby Green Daily Telegraph The Independent Masa Serdarevic Matt Sandy Financial Times Daily Mail Rob Davies Alex Ralph Daily Mail The Times Kate Walsh Michael Savage Sunday Times The Times Simon Neville Amy Williams Daily Mail Citywire Oliver Shah Jack Sidders Sunday Times Construction News Sam Jones Financial Times JOURNALISM IN THE NETWORKED AGE by Nick Barron

30 to Watch is MHP’s way of supporting good journalism. Thank you to this year’s winners for proving that journalism has a bright future.

This is the Networked Age – connected, global Good journalists are still trusted voices, capable and information saturated – and its effects on of holding power to account. Communications journalism are profound and contradictory. professionals use the threat of a hypothetical journalist to encourage leaders to be more introspective – › For aspiring journalists, traditional career paths have to ‘occupy themselves’ and ‘do the right thing.’ vanished, while new possibilities have proliferated Without the threat of this scrutiny, organisations would › Front pages and home pages are losing their power be worse and many PR people would be out of a job. to shape the news agenda, but journalists are In the Networked Age, buying people’s attention becoming increasingly powerful social influencers through advertising is becoming harder, consumer › No-one believes that newspapers win elections cynicism is more difficult to overcome and claims are anymore, but activism and journalism have converged easier to challenge. In this context, brands compete to to the point that media brands find themselves at tell ‘authentic’ stories that are genuinely engaging, but the of new social and political tribes many copywriters can’t get beyond the cloying or The PR industry now employs more people than superficial. By contrast, good journalists don’t just tell journalism, and flacks who’ve endured the righteous authentic stories, they tell ones that people actually scorn of hacks for decades have allowed themselves want to read and share. Good journalism has social to indulge in an unhealthy degree of schadenfreude currency that many brands or businesses struggle to about this reversal of fortunes. But PR needs good achieve alone. journalists more than ever. The final paradoxical trend in the Networked Age, therefore, is that while digital technology has vastly expanded the ways in which communications agencies can reach their clients’ audiences, understanding how to work with journalists has become more important than ever. Orion Nebula ETSI/ESA Printer to watch Designers to watch 1500 LY passionprint.co.uk behance.net/designd033 #MHP30toWatch @mhpc