The LGBTQ+ Journalism Network was commended at the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ)’s annual awards ceremony.
Held at the home of rugby – Twickenham Stadium – on Thursday (2 March), the 2022 Awards for Excellence honoured student, trainee and apprentice journalists as well as training providers and others making a difference in the industry.
Alongside the 1,426 students and trainees eligible for the performance-based student and trainee of the year awards, the NCTJ also received a further 447 entries across the other 17 categories.
The LGBTQ+ Journalism Network was shortlisted for the equality, diversity and inclusion award.
The award category, sponsored by the Financial Times, recognises the ‘outstanding work of individuals, educators and trainers, and employers who promote equality, diversity and inclusion in the media and training sector’.
Ability Today’s Academy for Disabled Journalists was declared the winner on the day, with Sky News journalist Amrit Singh Mann highly commended by the accredited journalism charity.
LGBTQ+ Journalism Network founder Sophie Perry said: “Being nominated for this prestigious award is extremely meaningful for us. The LGBTQ+ Journalism Network was established in January 2022, so to be shortlisted for this award after just a year is an incredible achievement.
“It is a testament to the hard work of our small team of volunteers, as well as the vibrant community of LGBTQ+ journalists that exists in the industry.”
Perry continued: “This initiative started because I did not feel there was a specific community for queer journalists to come together, so I am very proud of how far we have come but this is just the start – watch this space!
“A huge congratulations to the team entire team at Ability Today as well as Amrit. It is brilliant to see the work taking place across the sector to create a more diversity and inclusive future in journalism.”
The award ceremony was hosted by Jo Wilson, who is a presenter at Sky Sports News.
Addressing the room, Wilson told the attendees that she was “stuck” by how the importance of quality journalism has “once more been thrust into the spotlight” following the conflict in Ukraine.
“Journalists also had to sensitively handle the news of the first death of a British monarch in 70 years,” she continued, “report the devastating effect of the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey and we’ve heard from reporters about the hard-hitting impact of the cost-of-living crisis as inflation surged.
“Journalism students and trainees have been continuing to show adaptability, communication and teamwork as they adjusted to learning and working in a post-pandemic world.”
The full list of award winners and shortlisted can be seen on the NCTJ website.
Are you a member of our online community yet? Why not follow us on Twitter and Instagram? How about you check out our latest news and contributions to Journalist Like Me?
LGBTQ+ Journalism Network 