Paul Durrant Award for outstanding NQJ results in East of England presented at NCTJ Student Council conference

Rhoda Morrison, senior reporter at the Bury Free Press, has been awarded the Paul Durrant Award for her outstanding performance in the National Qualification in Journalism (NQJ) exams.

The award is presented annually to a newly-qualified journalist working on a newspaper in the East of England for their performance in the senior exams.

Sponsored by Archant, the award was launched in 2015 in honour of Paul Durrant, former assistant editor of the Eastern Daily Press (EDP) and NCTJ journalism trainer who launched the careers of hundreds of young reporters.

Paul died in 2016 at the age of 63 following a battle with cancer.

Rhoda, who also won the Trainee of the Year award and the Esso practical skills NQJ award in 2019, was presented with a cheque for £250 today at the NCTJ Student Council conference.

Rhoda also took part in a session at the event, in which she discussed her experiences of progressing to the NQJ after completing her NCTJ diploma.

David Powles, EDP and Norwich Evening News editor, said: “We’re delighted to be able to continue to support the type of excellent journalism that Paul Durrant was so renowned for.

“Paul was also passionate about ensuring young journalists were well trained, which is why this award is so fitting.”