A letter to readers of The News from the editor, Mark Waldron

Hello and welcome to the start of a new week... with your AWARD-WINNING newspaper!
(From left) Tom Cotterill (defence correspondent), Habibur Rahman (head of video), Ben Fishwick (chief reporter) and Neil Allen (chief sports writer)(From left) Tom Cotterill (defence correspondent), Habibur Rahman (head of video), Ben Fishwick (chief reporter) and Neil Allen (chief sports writer)
(From left) Tom Cotterill (defence correspondent), Habibur Rahman (head of video), Ben Fishwick (chief reporter) and Neil Allen (chief sports writer)

It was a huge honour for me to attend our annual JPIMedia awards in London last Friday and come home with the prize of Daily Title of the Year. I hadn't gone to the bash at the BAFTA HQ in Piccadilly with any thought of winning. But it was so good to have the fantastic work of the brilliant team I have the privilege of working with recognised for everything they do. I see it every day but it is special to have that stamp of approval from the senior colleagues across the company.

It was a very successful day for all of us involved as chief reporter Ben Fishwick took the prize for Investigation/Story of the Year. Ben could have entered with a number of top stories he has written over the past 12 months but on this occasion submitted his coverage on the workings of Hampshire's police and crime commissioner.

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Neil Allen was named Sports Journalist of the Year as again he shone not only with his day-to-day coverage of Pompey but with a number of cracking stories including his exclusive on the abuse suffered by Lucy Oliver, wife of Premier League ref Michael.

The News editor Mark Waldron (second from right) with James Mitchinson, editor National Title of the Year The Yorkshire Post; Jeremy Clifford, JPIMedia editor-in-chief and David Summers, editor of Weekly Title of the Year Northampton ChronicleThe News editor Mark Waldron (second from right) with James Mitchinson, editor National Title of the Year The Yorkshire Post; Jeremy Clifford, JPIMedia editor-in-chief and David Summers, editor of Weekly Title of the Year Northampton Chronicle
The News editor Mark Waldron (second from right) with James Mitchinson, editor National Title of the Year The Yorkshire Post; Jeremy Clifford, JPIMedia editor-in-chief and David Summers, editor of Weekly Title of the Year Northampton Chronicle

We also had defence correspondent Tom Cotterill on the shortlist for Journalist of the Year and Habibur Rahman for Video/Image of the Year.

Ben, Neil, Tom and Habibur rightly gained personal aplomb for their individual work. But it is the Daily Title of the Year award which reflects the fantastic work of all the team here. And that includes not just my staff but the invaluable backing we have from content sales, our commercial colleagues and the hard-working support teams at Lakeside who diligently beaver away behind the scenes.

The award is also a massive tribute to you, our loyal and loved readers - of the newspaper, our rapidly-growing website and across all our social channels.

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In honouring The News the judges picked out the enormous strides we have taken in our digital news output but also the way in which we constantly stand up for our communities and our readers.

And that is what gives us the greatest satisfaction - to continue to write the stories you want to read about, to support the causes which you want to back, to raise the questions you want asked and to hold to account those you want to challenge. We may not always get everything right but from the many messages of support received over the weekend I know we do most of the time.

We will always be your champions and remain your source for trusted news and information.

We would be nothing without you - so from the editor of your award-winning News I say thank you.

Mark Waldron, Editor of The News, Portsmouth

 

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