Trainer receives top award
A highly-regarded journalism trainer with decades of experience in the industry, and who has fought for regional publishers to offer better pay to trainee reporters, has been honoured for his work in education.
Paul Wiltshire, who leads the NCTJ-accredited journalism course at the University of Gloucestershire, was named winner of the Chairman’s Award – which recognises an individual’s outstanding contribution to high standards of journalism training - at a ceremony held at the Royal College of Physicians in London.
In recent years, Paul has spoken out on a number of issues affecting journalism students and trainee reporters. In 2021, he branded regional press salaries for trainees fit for the “Dark Ages” and has also raised concerns about the impact of remote working in the industry on work experience placements.
Announcing Paul as the winner, NCTJ chairman Kim Fletcher said: “During almost three decades as a journalist and news editor, Paul mentored trainees and nurtured the careers of all those under his watch. He took on formal responsibility for training journalists in newsrooms across the south west as regional editorial trainer for what is now Reach.
“At the University of Gloucestershire as a senior lecturer in journalism, Paul discovered his purpose in life to be a support and mentor to the next generation of journalists.”
Paul’s colleague at the university, Sophie Flowers, said: “Paul goes out of his way to prove that journalism is the best job in the world. He’s created a family environment in an educational setting, where every student feels seen and understood as an individual.
“He goes out of his way to check that they’re eating balanced meals as many times as he’ll check that they know the defences to defamation. Students on our course say they’re supported and listened to, and this is all down to Paul.”
Two hundred people attended the Awards for Excellence ceremony, with awards presented to journalists, students and educators across 21 categories – Trainee of the Year accolade going to Megan Howe (pictured), a community reporter at the Shropshire Star.
A winner at last year’s Birmingham Press Club-organised Midlands Media Students’ Awards, Shing Hei (Reagan) Yip, was highly commended, together with fellow-Nottingham Trent University student Francisco Santos, in the Student Podcast of the Year, while Kaleigh Pritchard and colleagues from the University of Gloucestershire were commended in the Student Project of the Year category.
Photo: Paul (left) pictured receiving his award from NCTJ chairman Kim Fletcher
