Former Courier writer wins Guardian Reporter of the Year

Former Courier News Editor takes home coveted Guardian Reporter of the Year award after already being awarded NUS Student Journalist of the Year

Simon Murphy receiving his Guardian Student Reporter of the Year Award Photography: The Guardian

Former News Editor of The Courier Simon Murphy was named ‘Reporter of the Year’ at the 2011 Guardian Student Media Awards last week.

Murphy, who is now studying an MA in Journalism, was a sub-editor for two years and wrote from his first year till he graduated.

Some of his pieces last year included exposes on University expenses and Honorary Degrees.

On winning the award, he said: “I’m hugely honoured to win this award, but I couldn’t have done it without help and support of everyone I’ve worked with on The Courier. I will always count my time on the paper as some of my best experiences at university – I miss it already.

“The articles I wrote were about holding the University to account – as far as I’m concerned, that’s what journalism is about. I know The Courier will continue doing that because it’s full of good people with bags of enthusiasm who are willing to sacrifice sleep and essay deadlines every week to keep it all going.”

Last year, Murphy also took home the NUS ‘Student Journalist of the Year’ after his investigation into excessive expenses claims on behalf of the university management, totaling almost £150,000. By exposing the University management to account, it gave students evidence that they could ultimately use to hold the administration to account.

NUS President Liam Burns commented: “As News Editor of The Courier, Simon has not only produced high-quality, compelling content but has used his outstanding journalistic skills to uncover exclusive stories, tackling important student issues.”

There were 648 entries across nine categories, with a panel including Channel 4’s Jon Snow and The Times’ digital editorial director Tom Whitehall.

York University’s newspaper York Vision took home the coveted publication of the year with Redbrick being named website of the year, following its dedicated live online coverage of the riots over the summer.

Guardian editor-in-chief, Alan Rusbridger, championed the 2011 winners as producing “brave and amazing and important” journalism.

Online editor of Redbrick Christopher Hutchinson said, “I feel ecstatic; the whole team does. It’s amazing. We’ve had three years of fantastic ideas and fantastic work from everyone and this year’s been just as good.” He also said that the coverage of the riots attracted 186,000 online views in just two days.

Rusbridger, when introducing the award, said the Leveson inquiry and phone-hacking saga had shone a light on “journalism at its worst” and that it was “very easy to get depressed” about the British press.