NCTJ trainee honoured at Media Awards

A talented trainee journalist won a top prize at the annual Midlands Media Awards at Edgbaston cricket ground last night.

Rachel Butler, a news reporter with The Derby Telegraph, was named Newcomer of the Year only eight months after completing her NCTJ-accredited BA (Hons) Journalism at Staffordshire University.

She was praised by the judges for her “strong” portfolio of stories. One of which, an exclusive about a mum’s desperate attempts to save her drowning children, made several national newspapers

BA Journalism course leader Pete Leydon, who attended the awards, said: “Rachel has done a magnificent job at Derby in the last eight months and fully deserves her award.

“I’m really proud of her and it shows what can be achieved with passion, drive and hard work.”