Six cracking regional newspaper front pages

The shortlists for the Regional Press Awards have now been announced. Well done to all of those who made it to the final six. I judged three categories and was, as always, hugely impressed by the quality. It is clear there is plenty of life in regional newspapers yet - and anyone who writes them off should have a close look at the entries. There really is some excellent writing, campaigns and designs. The digital award just shows how far the industry - well Trinity Mirror and the Belfast Telegraph to be accurate - has progressed over the last year. One category that always catches the eye is Front Page of the Year. Below are the shortlisted six. I wasn't involved in the judging of these so have no idea who has won ... could be any one of them. The winners will be announced at the awards lunch on May 15 at the Marriott, Grosvenor Square, London. It is one of my favourite events of the year, so I am looking forward to catching up with old colleagues and friends over a glass or two and celebrating the cream of the regional industry. See you there. Click here for the full shortlist.

The Belfast Telegraph on the death of Ian Paisley

The Brentwood Gazette on the brutal Tweets sent after a man was hit by a train 

The Dorset Echo's WWI centenary wrap

The Edinburgh Evening News on the result of the referendum

The Evening Telegraph, Dundee, on drug users on a street at 5.30pm


The Western Mail on the Nato Summit in Newport

Ten thoughts about the Regional Press Awards

I have now recovered from a cracking day at the Regional Press Awards yesterday. It is the first time I have attended the awards since I stood down as Chairman of the Judges in 2011. I am delighted to say they are in good hands with the Society of Editors. Well done to Bob Satchwell, Paul Horrocks, Sue Ryan and all. From a personal point of view it was a real pleasure to catch up with (increasingly) old faces and enjoy a glass or two in the sunshine afterwards. It was particularly nice to have a pint with Shamus Donald, MD at the Oxford Mail, who was instrumental in bringing about my deal to buy the Westminster Press Training business 19 years ago. I guess I owe him more than just a drink.
The breakdown of winners was reasonably spread across the industry. If we include the Journalists’ Charity Award, the Chairman’s Award and the Making a Difference Award, there were 26 ‘Oscars’ in all, with Local World taking pole position.

Local World 6
Cumbrian Newspapers 4
Newsquest 4
Trinity Mirror 4
Johnston Press 3
Midland News Association 2
Archant 1
New Journal Enterprises 1
Press Association 1

Well done to all the winners, the highly commended and everyone who was nominated. It is a great achievement, just to be shortlisted There was probably no better way to spend a sunny spring Friday afternoon - especially as it was my birthday. Here are my musings on the day.

i) Presenter Nick Ferrari is a gem. He understands the business, he goes off script, he is irreverent but respectful and very funny. He just gets the tone spot on. I was going to say he is real value for money ... but he actually donates his services for free.

ii) As Ferrari observed, the Regional Press Awards have a very different atmosphere to the national awards. At the national bash you have tabloid v tabloid, tabloid v broadsheet, papers as polarised as the Daily Mail and The Guardian and some personal rivalries too. Who can forget the fisticuffs between Piers Morgan and Jeremy Clarkson? And I well remember the diplomacy required at the 2011 event when The Guardian was shortlisted for Scoop of the Year for exposing the phone hacking scandal at the News of the World. At the regional awards there are no such rivalries and few geographical head to heads. Instead the room is full of passionate and talented people facing the same challenges. It really is an event where people from different newspapers genuinely respect and like each other. 

iii) Three individuals were singled out for special attention. They were:

The Venerable David Meara, who is retiring in July as Rector of St Bride's after 14 years. St Bride’s has long been the spiritual home of journalism and under David’s tenure the links have been strengthened. It was good to see that recognised yesterday. 

Deric Henderson, PA’s Northern Ireland editor who is retiring after 45 years as a journalist. Deric has covered every major terrorist-related incident and political development since the troubles began in 1968. There is an excellent BBC interview with him here.

Peter Barron, who has been editor of The Northern Echo for 15 years. He was presented with the Journalists' Charity Award for an outstanding contribution to journalism. Peter has achieved many things - Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Durham, an MBE, successful author, fundraiser and ambassador of a children’s hospice. But it was for the Echo's remarkable campaigning track record that this award was presented.

Great recognition for three very different, but richly deserving, people. 

iv) Peter was, though, responsible for the worst joke of the day. Receiving his award he said: "It’s been a privilege for me to edit The Northern Echo, a great paper with great traditions and some great editors. Harold Evans, of course; William Stead who died on the Titanic; William Stead’s predecessor, Peter Sands." Ha bloody ha! I ask you, is that any way for a Deputy Lord Lieutenant to behave? You can watch him here. 

Anna Draper's photo of Ryan Smith

v) A far more gracious acceptance speech came from the Lincolnshire Echo’s excellent photographer Anna Draper. While others prudently thanked their editors and news-editors, and even their MDs, she thanked the families of people who allowed her take deeply personal pictures. She said: “I'd really like to say thank you to the families who let us in. I took a photograph of this boy (Ryan Smith) who was in a coma and they didn’t know what was going to happen to him and that family was brave enough to let people like us to go and take photographs and tell their stories." You can watch her here and check on Ryan’s progress here.  

vi) There seems to be no escaping him in my life these days - but even Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley got a mention. The Evening Chronicle has produced some excellent front pages on the mess that is Newcastle United and they led to Gary Beckwith winning designer of the year.  Gary publicly thanked Ashley for providing his paper with some amazing stories. I have been struggling to think of Ashley qualities I admire but at last I have found one ... being the inspiration for great newspaper design. You can watch Gary's wine-fuelled acceptance speech here. 

vii) The table collections raised £1,727,68 for the Journalists’ Charity. Table 4 - a Trinity Mirror table - raised the most. Well done. The charity is something all journalists need to support. The details are here. 

Nev Wilson

vii) The awards were a fitting swansong for outgoing Brentwood Gazette editor Neville Wilson. His paper won Weekly Newspaper of the Year (Under 20,000) for the second year in a row. I can’t say I’m surprised. I had the privilege to work with Nev during my Northcliffe stint and his paper bristled with ideas, always brilliantly executed. He is off to join the Local World corporate team in London. Kensington’s gain will be Brentwood’s loss.

Jon Colman receives his award from Nick Ferrari

viii) There are the same names that come round year after year, proving that the judging process works and that real talent is recognised, whoever the judges might be. This year’s shortlists included many familiar names and previous winners including the Basildon Echo's Jon Austin, Sunday Life’s Ciaran Barnes, the Derby Telegraph’s Robin Johnston, the North Devon Journal’s David Powell, the Craven Herald’s Stephen Garnett, The Northern Echo’s Stuart Boulton, the Croydon Advertiser’s Gareth Davies and the Leicester Mercury’s Lee Marlow. Few, though, can boast the record held by Jon Colman of the News & Star and Cumberland News. He has been on the shortlist for either weekly or daily/Sunday sports reporter every year since 2006. He was weekly winner in 2006, 2007 and 2008. In 2009 he won both the weekly and daily award. In 2010 he won the daily award, as he did yesterday. Cumbrian Newspapers non-exec director Charlie Burgess tweeted later that 'Jon Colman says he'd give the award back in return for the three points that would have saved Carlisle from relegation.’  That is undoubtedly true.

ix) Jon Colman’s award was just one of four for Cumbrian Newspapers. They included Weekly Newspaper of the year (above 20,000) and Daily/Sunday Newspaper of the year (below 25,000). They also won a highly competitive Front Page of the Year award for an excellent montage by the North West Mail. The group is no stranger to these awards. The Cumberland News retained its title from last year and the News & Star also won the award in 2010. CN, headed up by Robin Burgess, is a relatively small independent newspaper group based in the far North which consistently punches above its weight. Independent and locally-owned newspapers … now there’s an idea.

x) The Lancaster London Hotel was an ideal venue - the food was first rate and the wine flowed. The Victoria pub around the corner was also just the spot to catch up with old friends with beer and sunshine. 

The day was a celebration of everything that is still great about the regional Press and its people. Congratulations to everyone involved - and long may they continue.   

The full list of winners, highly commended and videos of the event can be found on the Regional Press Awards website. 

All pictures taken at the awards are by Nick Carter, MagStar Ltd.

Over to you Paul ... enjoy it as much as I did

The team from The Irish News, winners of Newspaper of the Year, with host Nick Ferrari at last year's awards

Start putting together your best work from last year - the Regional Press Awards are back. The awards lunch will be on Friday May 25th at Savoy Place in London, so make sure you keep the date clear. It is with some regret, though, that I am standing down as chairman of the judges this year. My decision is partly because I don't have the time but mainly because I have taken a non-executive director's role with Northcliffe Media, so can no longer strictly be regarded as an independent. The job will be in safe hands with former Manchester Evening News editor Paul Horrocks taking over. Good luck to him. It was a real honour to have been chairman for the last six years. I have seen the awards run by the Press Gazette, the Wilmington Group, killed off for a year, and then resurrected by the Society of Editors last year. But through all the changes, the constant has been the high standard of journalism. Despite the economic ravages and the cuts, and against a backdrop of some elements of the Press being vilified, there are still regional journalists going the extra yard, delivering great stories, campaigns and investigations that really do change communities. My view has always been that the industry should throw its weight behind these awards. If we don't celebrate the excellence that runs through our newspapers, who will? That is why I took the chairman's role in the first place and why I will continue to help Paul, Bob Satchwell and the Society as they strive to make the awards a success. I hope the industry supports them too by encouraging its editors and journalists to enter. The entries will open on February 13 and details will be posted soon on www.theregionalpressawards.org.uk.
I will still be around on the day to catch up with old friends and colleagues, buy drinks and save tipsy editors from walking in front of cars - but this year I won't have to field the polite and not-so-polite bar-room questioning over 'why didn't we win.' Over to you Paul.

The Hull Daily Mail table celebrates winning daily Newspaper of the Year (over 25,000) at the 2008 awards

Ferrari to host Regional Press Awards

I am looking forward to working with Nick Ferrari again at the Regional Press Awards. Nick was the popular host of the last two awards before they were rested. The occasion needs someone who understands that the awards are a serious business but also that people have come down to London for a good time ... and Nick judges it perfectly. He is happy to go off script and bring a bit of humour and his knowledge of the industry to proceedings. And this time he is donating his services to support for the awards. Profits are going to the Journalists' Charity. There's more good news for the awards too - Camelot have signed up as sponsors. The first round of judging finishes today and shortlists - the top six in each category - will be announced soon. The lunch will be held at the Park Plaza Riverbank on London’s Albert Embankment at 12 for 12.45 on Wednesday May 11. Tickets are £70 (plus VAT) per person or £700 plus VAT per table to include a pre lunch drinks reception and wine with lunch. Special rates for overnight stays may be available. To book your place drop an email to kate.mcmillan@societyofeditors.org. For details of the awards visit www.regionalpressawards.org.uk 

More than 750 entries in regional awards

I am delighted, and just a little relieved, that there has been such a fantastic response to the new Regional Press Awards - more than 750 entries. To put that in perspective, when we ran the awards in 2009 before they were rested, there were about 500 entries. In the final 36 hours before the deadline on Tuesday, entries were coming in on the website at the rate of one a minute. A combination of a reduced entry fee, the support of the NS so that the purse strings were released a little and some hard work by Bob Satchwell, Angela Varley and Sharon Nall at the Society of Editors have all played a big part in ensuring the awards are now back with a bang. That this is a non-profit making event with any surplus cash going to the Journalists' Charity has also been a factor. Perhaps the awards have also been missed. There is no doubt that editors and journalists want recognition for the excellent work that still goes on in the regions. Anyway, the bottom line is we now have well-supported awards for the regional Press, run by the industry. Success. The regional Press has been on the ropes for a long time now, so this serves as a big signal that it is still alive and kicking. 

The next stage for me is to organise the 50 judges - all independents and senior figures in the media - who give their time freely. We will initially be drawing up shortlists of six in each category and these will be announced early next month. We also have two live judging days at the Press Association offices in London where secret ballots will decide the winners from the shortlists. After all of that I can relax a little and look forward to catching up with some of you at the awards lunch on May 11. Good luck. 

Regional Press Awards website.

Entries now open for the Regional Press Awards

The Regional Press Awards are now open for entries. So please dig out your best work from 2010, get your entries in and give the awards your full support. The entry fee has been reduced to £25 and any profit this year will go to the Journalists Charity. The details of how to enter can be found at www.regionalpressawards.org.uk. There has been a lot of hard work behind the scenes, particularly by Bob Satchwell, to make sure the awards have been resurrected after being 'rested' last year. It's great news that they are going ahead and even better that they are now being run by the industry itself ... by the  the Society of Editors and the Newspaper Society.  If the industry doesn't celebrate the excellence that runs through its newspapers and applaud the journalists who go that extra yard every day, who will? I was particularly uncomfortable, when the awards were cancelled, with the suggestion that we should just applaud excellence during the good times. Those who work hard to maintain standards when the going gets tough deserve to be honoured. I am also delighted to have been asked to be chairman of the judges again. I will be contacting the illustrious and independent band who all give their time freely in the next few days. Now we have the awards back, let's make sure they are a success and that we don't lose them again. So please dust down your best articles, graphics, photographs, designs, supplements and newspapers from 2010, get your entries in and allow us to celebrate the very best in regional newspaper journalism.


  

Regional Press Awards are alive and kicking

Previous winners of Newspaper of the Year:
The Hull Daily Mail journalists enjoy the party

I am delighted to report that the Regional Press Awards are alive and kicking again, especially as they will be organised by the industry with profits going to the  Journalists’ Charity. The Society of Editors Regional Press Awards, which are announced today, will fill the void left when the previous awards were 'rested' last year. This time around Newspaper Society members have pledged their support, as have Holdthefrontpage and The Press Association. Entries open on February 14,  shortlists will be published in early April and an awards lunch will be held in London on May 11, to coincide with Local Newspaper Week. I will be chairing the judges again, making sure it is all meticulously fair. I know there are other awards around and all credit to those who organise them. But I have long held the view that the industry itself should celebrate the excellence that runs through its newspapers, applaud the journalists who go that extra yard every day, recognise the editors who invest in off-diary work and innovation - particularly in such testing circumstances. Well done to Bob Satchwell, the SoE's executive director, for working tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure this has happened. He will oversee the awards in consultation with Lynne Anderson, communications director of the NS. The details, including the categories which will recognise journalists from all fields from regional dailies, weeklies and websites, will be announced soon. In the meantime start digging out your best work and keep May 11 clear in the diary. I will post regular updates here.
Comment from John Meehan, editor at the Hull Daily Mail: "This is really good news for the regional media industry at a time when good news is in short supply. Congratulations to all at the Society of Editors and the Newspaper Society who have made this happen. The event deserves strong support from the industry. Now more than ever we need to celebrate editorial excellence."

Regional Press 2011 outlook. Your thoughts?

This time last year I was asked by the editor of InPublishing magazine to write an article on the outlook for the regional Press in 2010. You can read it here. In short it focused on getting the content right, finding new revenue streams and companies coming to terms with smaller profits. It concluded: Unable to sell and with revenues declining, newspaper companies have little option but continue to draw as much profit as they can. Manage the decline carefully, keep it tight, don’t invest and there could be a good few fertile years in the cash cow yet. So, unfortunately, what regional newspapers must really do in 2010 is brace themselves for more of the same.  
I also asked the industry's makers and shakers for their tips for 2010 and they are listed alongside the article. Now I have been asked to write an article on, you guessed it, the outlook for 2011. The easy option is to say, even more of the same. But if you have any thoughts on where the regional Press goes from here, please let me have them. You can either leave a comment below or email me at petersands@mistral.co.uk. All contributions welcome.

A masterclass in feature-writing

A scan through the Pulitzer Prize winners shows that American newspaper journalism is alive and kicking. But there is none better than Fatal Distraction: Forgetting a child in the backseat of a car is a horrifying mistake. Is it a crime? by Gene Weingarten of The Washington Post who won the feature-writing award. It's a piece that should be studied by all budding feature-writers for its structure, tone, pace and eye for detail. A harrowing story, dealt with beautifully. 
Footnote: As we continue to look at ways to resurrect the Regional Press Awards this year, where the winners traditionally receive a small trophy, it is interesting to note that the Pulitzer winners, all 22 of them, win $10,000.  

Ten thoughts about last night's Press Awards

Walter Greenwood accepts the Journalists' Charity Special Award from Amy Williams and John Humphrys

i) The Telegraph and Will Lewis deserve all they got. Clearest winners for years.

ii) The red tops should get a better deal - particularly in sport.

iii) Walter Greenwood has saved a lot of journalists' skins and made an understated contribution to the industry. A thoroughly deserved award.

iv) In another year Jacqui Smith putting adult films on expenses would have walked away with Scoop of the Year.

v) Nick Ferrari should have been on stage instead of sipping (he had a 6am show in the morning) white wine on the judges' table.

vi) Boris Johnson should be a full-time comedian ... perhaps he is. Listen to his speech. 

vii) What no women? Speakers included many middle-aged men ... Bob Satchwell, Chris Boffey, Boris Johnson, Dominic Ponsford, John Humphrys ... but  only two non-journalist women cameos. Lady Cudlipp and Olympic slider Amy Williams.

viii) Double blow for Andrew Rawnsley ... didn't win and his name was spelt wrong in the programme. Ransle?

ix) Had the best table mates I could have wished for. Two women ex-editors (how rare are they?), Eve Pollard and Anita Syvret. Also David Banks, ex-Mirror editor, who is good craic and a generous man. Four bottles of wine at the end of the night ... £170. I owe him.

x) Enjoyable night, well done to all. A good show. Makes me even more depressed that the regional awards have been shelved.

Full list of winners

Where now for Regional Press Awards?

The great and the good of national newspaper journalism will be applauded at a glitzy dinner at the Grosvenor House Hotel later this month. It will be a celebration of a vintage year for British journalism. But for their regional cousins there will not even be a beer and bowl of peanuts in the backroom of the Cheshire Cheese. After 22 years the Regional Press Awards have been "rested" - a decision that indicates the gulf that appears to be growing between national and regional papers.

I had been optimistic that the awards would go ahead. The early signs were good with one of the big groups, who had not entered last year, saying that things had eased up and they would be back in the fold. But last week others said that, given the economic circumstances, their papers would not be taking part. Their absence would have made the awards a nonsense, so organisers Wilmington had no choice but to call the whole thing off.

I am sure I am not alone in being saddened by the decision. For the last four years I have been chairman of the judges in the awards. Fifty independent judges, me included, give their services for no reward other than knowing they are supporting  the industry they have grown up in.

Editors support the awards too. But when you are cutting staff, how can you justify sipping over-priced champagne in a swanky London hotel? It seems the combined cost of a £35 entry fee and a £130 ticket to the event were just too prohibitive. 

I know that some newspaper managements also believe the awards are a distraction, a bit of irrelevant back-slapping and that they have no tangible benefits. I don't agree. The regional Press has now become the only branch of the media not to have its own national awards. Ask those in film, television, magazines, national newspapers or any other creative industry if they feel their awards are an irrelevance. Apart from anything else the awards send out a message, both internally and externally, of an industry confident in itself. Their cancellation has already allowed commentators to refer to "a sad reflection of the parlous state of the sector" and to observe that the decision should "restore some gloom". 

If the regional Press doesn't celebrate the excellence that runs through its newspapers, applaud the journalists who go that extra yard every day, recognise the editors who invest in off-diary work and innovation … then who will?  I am particularly uncomfortable with the suggestion that we just applaud excellence during the good times. Those who work hard to maintain standards when the going gets tough deserve to be honoured.

So what next? Maybe the answer is to scale the event down, hold it online, combine the regional and national awards (as they used to be) or something else altogether. What must not happen is for them to disappear altogether. There will now be discussions on what can be done to ensure that the awards are resurrected next year. If you have any suggestions let me have them and I will ensure they get heard.

Regional Press Awards looking positive

Pleased to report that the Regional Press Awards look likely to go-ahead. Last year some newspapers felt going to London to celebrate was inappropriate against a background of cost cutting and job losses. Clearly, without the support of the big regional players, the awards couldn't survive. This year though there has been a positive response - a sign that things are getting better. The awards date is likely to be in June. We will let you know here when anything is decided.

PS