Recognition for top performing students in media law exams
Winners of the NCTJ’s media law prizes for the most outstanding exam papers in the 2008/09 academic year were announced at the media law exam board meeting on Friday, 1 October.
Winners of the NCTJ’s media law prizes for the most outstanding exam papers in the 2008/09 academic year were announced at the media law exam board meeting on Friday, 1 October.
A near-perfect 99 per cent earned Anna Lowman The Oxford University Press Media Law Award for the best performance in the general reporting exam. Anna, 24, who studied magazine journalism with noSWeat Journalism Training, is now doing PR and marketing for FILMCLUB, an educational film charity which gives children free access to film culture.
Anna spoke of how proud she was to win the award and stressed the importance of her law training: “Media law was brilliantly fascinating and gave me a great insight into the ethics and regulations around journalism that would not have even occurred to me had I not taken it. I still bear many of the case studies and precedents in mind when writing my pieces now.”
The most impressive performance in the court reporting paper came from Hannah Whitelam, a postgraduate of the University of Sheffield. Hannah, 26, was awarded The Johnston Press Media Law Award for scoring 97 per cent. She is hoping to study a PhD at the University of Sheffield next year.
Mark Hanna, chair of the media law exam board, praised the outstanding efforts of all nominees. “There was an exceptional standard of entries which made the judges’ task incredibly difficult. To see students scoring 99 per cent is fantastic, and illustrates just what can be achieved.”
Mark, who is also a co-author of McNae’s Essential Law for Journalists, added: “Such impressive results show tremendous promise for the future of the industry.”
The winners both received a certificate and a cheque for £250.
Prizes for the best 2009/10 media law exams will be presented at the Student Council in February, alongside the first winners of The Football League Sports Journalism Award.
Candidates with the best sports journalism exam papers for 2009/10 will get the chance to report on the play-off finals in May 2011. The winner will report on the npower Championship final, 2nd place on League One and 3rd on League Two.
