Nominations in Media Awards short-list

By UK Journalism

Two UCLan journalism graduates have been short-listed from over 200 entries in the EDF Energy East of England Media Awards.

David Powles from the Norwich Evening News has been nominated for Print Journalist of the Year and Alison Acton, a reporter for BBC Radio Suffolk, is up for Radio Journalist of the Year.

The award ceremony, run in association with Hold The Front Page, will celebrate the success of television, radio and print journalists from across the Eastern region and the winner of each category will be awarded a trophy and £100.

Alison and David are both up against two other entries for their awards and the winners from all ten categories will be announced at a ceremony at Whipsnade Zoo on January 31st.

David and Alison each entered three pieces for their nomination and both included work on the Suffolk prostitute killings that took place in December 2006.

Anniversaries of the murders

Alison said: “My first package was speaking to drug addicts about their addictions, the second was talking to two women who worked as prostitutes about their very different stories and the final piece was a tribute montage that I made to mark the anniversaries of the murders.”

David managed to secure an interview with a prostitute who had an affair with one of the original suspects of the murders. His other two entries came from Freedom of Information Act requests.

“I am a big fan of the act and it has been a good tool to me over the years. One story involved a row with Norfolk Police. When we learned that 12 people wanted for serious offences had skipped bail we tried to get details of their names and pictures. The police refused however, which meant it became a story about how they were protecting the identities of bail jumpers” he said.

David left UCLan in 2000 and initially worked at the Lancashire Evening Post. He has been at the Norwich Evening News for 18 months and describes his recent promotion to news editor as the highlight of his career.

He said: “I love having the chance to set the news agenda and chase big stories in a city I was born in and love so much.”

Alison, who graduated from the university in 1998, has worked at BBC radio Suffolk for almost four years. The Suffolk murders has been her main focus for the last year and she is about to cover the trial of the man accused of the murders.

She added: “The story has dominated my work life for the last year and so it would be really nice to see that recognised. I have worked hard at giving a voice to people who wouldn't normally get one and so I’ve been very keen to let them tell their own stories in their own words.”

More info
BA (Hons) Journalism
MA Broadcast Journalism
PGDip Newspaper Journalism
BBC Radio Suffolk
Norwich Evening News

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Extra and related information

Our print and broadcast courses are accredited by the The Broadcast Journalism Training Council and the National Council for the Training of Journalists. Our MA Magazine Journalism is accredited by the Periodicals Training Council.