RTS Journalism Awards 2009
The RTS Television Journalism Awards for 2008/2009 were presented at an Awards Dinner on Wednesday 24 February 2010 at 7.00pm for 7.30pm, at the London Hilton, Park Lane, London W1K 1BE. Presentation hosted by Sophie Raworth.
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For press information contact:
Mary Jones or Greg Halse
Franklin Rae Communications
Tel: 020 7317 5400 or email: Mary@franklinrae.com or Greg@franklinrae.com
WINNERS
Young Journalist of the Year
Tamanna Rahman - Panorama BBC Current Affairs for BBC One
“The winner helped produce some of the most gripping television of the year, bravely exposing a side of Britain we don’t often get to see. Her raw and simple style was both innovative and powerful.”
Nominees
Rohit Kachroo - ITV News ITN for ITV News
Tom Rayner Sky News
Nations and Regions Current Affairs
Inside Out South West - Vanessa George BBC South West
“The Jury selected an outstanding winner from a very strong shortlist. The winning programme involved a major scoop, great access, and great story telling.”
Nominees
BBC Scotland Investigates - Inside Scotland's Terror Cell - BBC Scotland
Spotlight - Stem Cell Tourists BBC Northern Ireland
Nations and Regions News Coverage
Meridian Tonight (South) - Justice for Hannah ITV Meridian
“… was extensive and riveting coverage of an horrendous crime with remarkable access to the family concerned.”
Nominees
The West Country Tonight - Remembering Harry ITV West
UTV Live Tonight - The Ryan Report UTV
News Coverage - Home
G20 Policing ITN for Channel 4 News
“… an outstanding and very strong piece of journalism, a proper investigation, brilliantly done.”
Nominees
Gurkha Rights BBC News for BBC
Threats and Murders BBC Newsline for BBC Northern Ireland
Current Affairs - Home
Panorama: What Happened to Baby P? BBC Current Affairs for BBC One
“… an agenda-setting programme which was the result of a pain-staking investigation. It was a story that in less restrained hands could have easily been sensational and over-emotive, but this measured account of the short life and death of Baby P was all the more convincing and shocking.”
Nominees
StockwellITV Studios for ITV1
Dispatches: Rape and the City Wall to Wall for Channel 4
Current Affairs - International
This World: Gypsy Child Thieves BBC Current Affairs for BBC Two
“A fantastic achievement. A powerful eye-witness account and an outstanding example of story-telling.”
Nominees
Dispatches: Pakistan's Taliban Generation October Films for Channel 4
Dispatches: Terror in Mumbai Quicksilver Media for Channel 4
News Coverage - International
Pakistan: Terror's Frontline Sky News
“The winning entry was described by the jury as `fantastic’, containing material that everyone wished they‘d had. The reporting was brave, exclusive and thoughtful. It showed great journalistic foresight to invest – ahead of other news organisations – so thoroughly in the story of the rise of the Taliban in Pakistan.”
Nominees
Operation Panther's Claw ITN for ITV News
Iranian Election BBC News for BBC
Scoop of the Year
Release of the Lockerbie Bomber BBC Scotland
“The winning scoop caught everybody by surprise, including some colleagues within the BBC, and its impact spread far and wide beyond its home turf.”
Nominees
Sir Fred Goodwin's Pension BBC News for BBC One
Vanessa George BBC South West & BBC News
Presenter of the Year
Julie Etchingham - ITV News ITN for ITV News
“The winner was described by one judge as having grown, in an extremely short time, into a key part of the channel’s news team. Strong and professional with range and authority, an extraordinary journalist with real star quality.”
Nominees
David Dimbleby BBC
Krishnan Guru-Murthy - Channel 4 News ITN for Channel 4 News
Innovative News
Sky News and Skynews.com for Fallen Heroes
“The jury felt that [this] entry … stood out as a model for the future. It involved viewers in providing a web-based "living tribute" to the British soldiers who have died in Afghanistan. Combining high production values with users’ own content, it provided a Remembrance Day tribute that was truly moving - and is still being updated as a constant memorial.”
The Independent Award
Mehran Bozorgnia - Afghan Life Crumbles Despite Foreign Aid Channel 4 News
“The winner produced an outstanding and riveting film which uncovered aspects of life in Afghanistan which we had not seen before. To have produced high quality video and sound in these circumstances, without resorting to undercover filming, is a real achievement which fully deserves this award and which sets a high standard for future entries in this category.”
Nominees
Jamal Osman - Somalia: UN World Food Programme: Theft and Corruption
SMI Production for Channel 4 News
Stephen Grey – Dispatches: Afghanistan - Mission Impossible?
Blakeway Productions for Channel 4
News Programme of the Year
BBC News at Ten BBC News for BBC One
“The winner demonstrated reporting strength in great depth, both at home and abroad with several specialists clearly at the top of their game. There was outstanding coverage from Afghanistan and Iran, a string of high-powered exclusives and impressive presentation.”
Nominees
Channel 4 News (19:00 Edition) ITN for Channel 4 News
ITV News at Ten ITN for ITV News
News Channel of the Year
Sky News
“The winning channel demonstrated that it can report foreign news as well as its traditional fare of UK breaking news. Coverage ranged from the Swat Valley in Pakistan to Afghanistan, Iran and Mumbai while at home Adam Bolton continued to harry the Prime Minister and hound MPs and the home news team continued to chase every ambulance with their usual chutzpah.”
Nominees
Al Jazeera English
CNN International
Specialist Journalist
Paul Kenyon - Panorama BBC Current Affairs for BBC One
“Our winner has given a voice to people who don’t usually get heard, and created human, engaging, compelling television in the process. His dogged coverage of African migration has been ground-breaking.”
Nominees
Jason Farrell - Five News with Natasha Kaplinsky Sky News Production for Five News
Joey Jones Sky News
Camera Operator of the Year
Dai Baker - Channel 4 News ITN for Channel 4 News
“The winner showed great imagination and technique and his use of light and reflections were well thought through and effective.”
Nominees
Raul Gallego Abellan - Associated Press Television NewsAssociated Press
Fred Scott- BBC News BBC News for BBC
Television Journalist of the Year
Alex Crawford Sky News
“For the outstanding quality, depth and humanity of her reportage from Afghanistan and the Mumbai terror attacks…”
Nominees
Ian Pannell - BBC News BBC News for BBC
Angus Walker - ITV News ITN for ITV News
Lifetime Achievement Award
Peter McHugh
“[This Award] goes to a man who has kept the flag of popular journalism flying high, first in print and for the last few decades in television, with remarkable success. He started on newspapers on his home turf of the North East, then moved on to The Sun and the Daily Mail before becoming by far the most influential figure in breakfast television over the past 20-something years. He's nurtured talented young people by the score, if not by the hundred, and has seen star presenters come and go over the years, but he has always retained his great gut instinct for a good newsy story or a great human interest tale.”
Judges’ Award
Gaza News Teams
“The award this year goes to a group of people who risked their lives to ensure that the world could witness a war that would otherwise have unfolded largely in secret. When Israel launched its assault on Gaza just over a year ago it went to extraordinary lengths to keep the world's media out. The Israeli military sealed off Gaza from journalists and camera teams to prevent them seeing and reporting what was going on. Most of the media found itself stranded on a hill top several miles away and, effectively, shut out of the story entirely. Inside Gaza, however, individuals and small groups of local journalists and cameramen took extraordinary risks to send pictures and eye-witness reports to the outside world showing the daily toll of death and destruction. Some were freelancers, some locally hired producers or stringers working for Reuters and APTN or other broadcasters. Whatever their status they made an irreplaceable contribution to the work of the television agencies and the rest of the world's media.”