Newsworks sits down with four student journalists recognised for their outstanding quality of work to learn their views about the role of journalism in university life, the biggest stories they’ve worked on so far and who they would invite to their fantasy dinner party
This year’s SPA Awards saw Newsworks sponsor two categories: the Billy Dowling-Reid Award for outstanding commitment and Best Newcomer/Rising Star Award. Scroll below to see the winners and highly commended entries and read their special ’10 minutes with’ interviews.
Billy Dowling-Reid Award
Winner: Freya Shaw, creative director at Epigram
Taking home the Billy Dowling-Reid Award for outstanding commitment to student journalism, Shaw was honoured for her work revolutionising Epigram’s print and digital output and pioneering new formats of storytelling.
She tells us about the impact the Covid pandemic has had on her studying and reporting, her work on improving diversity and inclusion for women in media and a particularly apt set of fantasy dinner party guests.
Highly commended: Shikhar Talwar, news producer at Manchester Media Group
News producer at The Mancunion as well as for the University of Manchester’s other media channels, Talwar was highly commended for the Billy Dowling-Reid Award.
He speaks to us about interviewing some of Manchester’s most powerful figures, his megastar fantasy dinner party guest and reporting on the university’s very best water fountains.
Best Newcomer/Rising Star Award
Winner: Luke Hewitt, investigations editor at The Mancunion
Hewitt took home the Best Newcoming/Rising Star Award with his exceptional work investigating the struggles of medical students with poor standards of living.
In his interview, he tells us about how the pandemic gave him the impetus to follow his journalism ambitions, the ups and downs of investigative reporting and why it is so rewarding, as well as his favourite words of wisdom about avoiding drama on social media.
Highly commended: Emily Dalton, chief subeditor at the Kingston Courier
Dalton was also highly commended in the category of best rising star.
Her interview touches on her switch from hospitality to journalism, her dream of being a foreign correspondent and her favourite investigative reporting.
