Our news reporters take top awards at ceremony
TWO Herald journalists have won major prizes at the county's most prestigious awards ceremony.
Mike Sims, 23, of Hythe, was named the WF Deedes Best Young Journalist of the Year for his coverage of the long-running Lydd Airport saga and his sensitive portrayal of a Jewish nurse in Hitler's Germany who defied orders to kill elderly patients.
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WINNING TEAM: TwoHerald journalists scooped top prizes. Left to right: veteran broadcaster Barbara Sturgeon, Eleanor Jones, Mike Sims and Shepherd Neame chief executive Jonathan Neame
Mike, who joined the Herald two years ago as a trainee reporter, said: "I was a bit shocked and I am delighted to have won."
Chief reporter Eleanor Jones was highly commended for her campaign to help the homeless at the town's Rainbow Centre.
The annual awards ceremony is organised by the brewers Shepherd Neame.
Eleanor, 32, used the campaign to ask Herald readers to dig deep and donate food, hygiene items and warm clothing.
She said: "The response from the readers was amazing. I'm delighted to have won the award."
The first prize was won by Northcliffe Media stablemate the Sevenoaks Chronicle, for its loyalty card scheme to help the town's High Street.
Mike and Eleanor received the awards at the ceremony held at Shepherd Neame's brewery in Faversham.
BBC Radio Kent presenter Julia George was named Shepherd Neame Kent Journalist of the Year at the Kent Media Awards lunch.
Comments
by markwaghorn
Friday, February 03 2012, 3:10PM
“This has made me stir from my winter hibernation. Well done the Folkestone Herald. It is a top, top, top newspaper and the flack it received over the out-of-date pasty and public toilet lighting scandal stories was a complete over reaction. I said then it would bounce back - and how! But why no mention of the real hero behind all this success - editor Simon Finlay, the most influential figure in Folkestone. We are lucky to have him in our midst.”