AddThis SmartLayers

Newspapers honoured for reporting refugee issues

The Scotsman has taken home two awards from a journalism contest which recognises coverage of refugee issues.

At the Refugee Week Scotland Media Awards held last week, the Johnston Press-owned daily won prizes the both the news and features categories.

In the news category, Martyn McLaughlin won for a piece in The Scotsman on a dawn raid at border police headquarters, while the features prize was won by Chitra Ramaswamy for an article on people persecuted for their sexuality.

A special award, sponsored by NUJ Scotland, was given to Glasgow Evening Times journalist Jasper Hamill for coverage of the Scottish Refugee Council’s Protection Appeal.

In the local print category, the Fife Free Press and the Greenock Telegraph were named as joint winners for coverage of campaigns to save asylum seekers from deportation.

The Telegraph was nominated for articles about Glasgow University student, John Oguchukwu, who was sent back to Nigeria from Inverclyde despite local protests, while the Free Press covered the case of Kishor Dangol, a 48 year-old who lived in Kirkcaldy for 12 years and who was ordered to return to Nepal.

The Refugee Week Scotland Media Awards are staged annually by British Red Cross, Scottish Refugee Council and the National Union of Journalists to recognise exceptional reporting and coverage of refugee issues.

The full list of winners was:

National print (News):

Winner: Martyn McLaughlin, The Scotsman – piece on dawn raid on border police headquarters.

Runner Up: Craig McDonald, Daily Record – piece on The Garden of Hope to mark British Red Cross’ International day of the Disappeared.

National print (Features):

Winner: Chitra Ramaswamy, The Scotsman – piece on people persecuted for their sexuality.

Runner Up: Kathleen Morgan, The Herald Magazine – piece on refugees facing new struggles as they try to rebuild new lives.

Local print: Joint Winners

Greenock Telegraph for its series on the deportation of Nigerian student, John Oguchukwu who had strong connections in the area.

Fife Free Press for its series on Nepalese Asylum Seeker, Kishor Dangol.

Photography:

Winner: Colin Mearns, Evening Times – piece on The Red Cross Garden of Hope.

Runner Up: Angela Catlin, The Herald Magazine – piece on refugees facing new struggles as they try to rebuild new lives.

Broadcast:

Newsnight Scotland: Reporter Derek Bateman’s piece on 60 Years of the UN Convention and Ian Berry’s photographs for Magnum at the 2011 Refugee Week Scotland.

Special award (sponsored by NUJ Scotland):

New award for 2012: Evening Times for its coverage by Jasper Hamill on the Scottish Refugee Council’s Protection Appeal.