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City Journalism alumni win at the Foreign Press Association Awards and British Journalism Awards in 2023.

By Eve Lacroix (Senior Communications Officer), Published

Alumni from City, University of London continue to contribute to the British and international media landscapes, scooping up awards in the British Journalism Awards 2023 in December and the Foreign Press Association Awards 2023 in November.

Journalism alumna Maya Saad wins a Foreign Press Association award

In November, Queen Camilla hosted the prestigious Foreign Press Association (FPA) Awards 2023 at the Sheraton Grand London Park Lane.

The ceremony saw recent graduate Maya Saad (MA International Journalism, 2023) win the Best Student Foreign Correspondent award, which was a brand new category aimed specifically at City students.

Maya was awarded for her final project as part of her degree, which saw her reporting on small boat migration from Northern Lebanon.

The project was the first time she had produced a longform video story.

Winner and recent alumna Maya Saad stands in the middle holding her award. She is surrounded by fellow student nominees and City journalism academics. They are all wearing formal dresses.
Left to right: Professor Mel Bunce, Dr Zahera Harb, nominee and recent alumna Polly Thompson, winner and recent alumna Maya Saad, nominee and recent alumna Neha Dhillon, Dr Glenda Cooper.

She currently works as a Video Producer at the global news agency AFP, after interning at the organisation during her studies.

Discussing the award, she said:

I  feel very happy and proud to have been offered such a prestigious award at the beginning of my career as a journalist.

I wish it would have come in different circumstances and not at a time where too many journalists, especially in Gaza, are losing their lives for simply doing their job.

Creating my final project was very challenging yet one of the most rewarding experiences.

It's very easy to think of migrants as just numbers when watching or reading the news and my work tries to remind us that they are humans each with their own individual story.

To aspiring journalists, she offered the following advice: “Follow your gut feeling when deciding on a story, and always remember the humanity of your interviewees. Stay curious and critical.”

Foreign Press Awards archives at City

The FPA is the oldest press association in the world and was initially set up in 1888 by journalists collaborating to report on Jack the Ripper.

The School of Communication & Creativity (SCC) – within which the Department of Journalism sits – is the physical home to the FPA’s archives, hosting over 150 years’ worth of journalists work reporting on the UK for the world.

Dr Zahera Harb, Programme Director for the MA in International Journalism, is a longtime member of the FPA. She was instrumental in bringing the FPA’s physical archives to City.

Dr Glenda Cooper, Deputy Head of City’s Department of Journalism, also held an important role at the awards ceremony, acting as an external judge and presented the award for travel reporting this year.

Four City alumni awarded in the British Journalism Awards 2023

The British Journalism Awards (BJA) – now in its twelfth year – recognises great journalism in the UK which serves public interest.

Four City alumni were awarded and one highly commended at the BJA 2023 ceremony, held at the London Hilton Bankside in December.

Alumna Emily Dugan stands in the middle of the picture holding her award at the British Journalism Awards 2023.
Alumna Emily Dugan receives an award at the British Journalism Awards 2023. ASV Photography for Press Gazette

Of these winners, four of them were graduates from the School of Communication & Creativity’s Department of Journalism, and one from the School of Policy & Global Affairs’ Department of Sociology and Criminology:

  • Siân Boyle (MA Interactive Journalism, 2013) is a freelance journalist who writes for titles including the Daily Mail and The Sunday Times and picked up the winning award for the Technology Journalism category, sponsored by Amazon
  • Maria Caramelo (BSc Sociology, 1997) is a Production Coordinator for the BBC and won the Social Affairs, Diversity & Inclusion category
  • Emily Dugan (PGDip Newspaper Journalism, 2006) is a Senior Reporter for The Guardian and won the Crime & Legal Journalism category
  • Matthew Holehouse (MA Investigative Journalism, 2010) is a British Political Correspondent for The Economist and picked up the award for Comment Journalism.
Alumnus Matthew Holehouse stands in the middle of the picture holding up his British Journalism Awards 2023 trophy, surrounded by two BJA members. They are in formal wear.
Alumnus Matthew Holehouse receives an award at the British Journalism Awards 2023 ceremony. ASV Photography for Press Gazette

Alumnus Ian Birrell (PGDip Journalism, 1986) is a Contributing Editor for The Mail on Sunday was highly commended in the Public Service Journalism category.

The judging panel for the wide-ranging awards included some of City’s experts from the Department for Journalism, including Dr Paul Lashmar, Dr Sarah Lonsdale and Dr Zahera Harb as well as Visiting Lecturers Leon Hawthorne and Lloyd Watson.

Dr Glenda Cooper, said:

City has always been – and remains – the place that students come to for the best journalism education.

Our students are taught by brilliant staff who’ve worked as senior journalists, get access to industry leaders and enjoy the benefits of being in a dynamic city with a huge array of media organisations nearby.

Our alumni are going from strength to strength -- we’re delighted to see them recognised and awarded for their contributions to the media landscape and to public knowledge.

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