An editor who took on four weeklies last year has been named as the best in her group by a regional publisher.
Samantha Harman, who was appointed group editor for Newsquest Berkshire and Buckinghamshire last February, has been honoured by Newsquest in its 2017 Excellence Awards.
Samantha, pictured, a previous deputy editor of the Dorset Echo, is responsible for the Bracknell News, Reading Chronicle, Bucks Free Press and Slough Observer in her role.
Other award winners include Brighton daily The Argus, which won the Newsbrand crown, while the company’s Oxford centre triumphed in a total of three categories.
Newsquest chief executive Henry Faure Walker said: “These awards reflect the commitment and innovation taking place across Newsquest every day as we transition the business to a sustainable multi-media future, and a business which increasingly has digital marketing at its core.
“They demonstrate the skill, hard work and determination that continue to make Newsquest and its brands the leaders in the industry.”
The full list of winners and runners up is as follows:
Advertisement Sales Leader
Winner – Jason Gill, Falmouth
Runner up – Debra Orr, Hereford
Best Use of Photography or Video
Winner – Dave Gillespie, Warrington
Runner up – Ed Nix, Oxfordshire
Digital Media
Winner – Peter Grant, Oxford
Runner up – Chris Cook, Warrington
Digital Sales Centre
Winner – Sussex
1st Runner Up – Warrington
2nd Runner Up – Wiltshire
Editor/Head of Content
Winner – Samantha Harman, Reading/High Wycombe/Slough
Runners up – Arron Hendy & Andy Parkes, Sussex
Group Support Employee
Winner – Emma Stowell-Corten, Newport
Runner up – Niall Holden, Bradford
Innovator
Winner – Shane Harding, Oxford
Runner up – David Ward, Scotland
Multi Media Journalist
Winners – Mike Parsons & Matthew Turner, North West
Runner up – Angharad Williams, Wales
Newspaper Sales
Winner – Julie Bolton, Midlands South
Runner up – Eddie Denton, Oxford
Newsbrand
Winner – The Argus, Brighton
Runner up – Oldham Times
Publishing Centre
Winner – Falmouth
Runner up – Wirral
Sales Person
Winner – Caroline Jackson, Birkenhead
Runner up – Kathy O’Mahoney, Stourbridge
Unsung Hero
Winner – Jo Coady, Oxford
Runner up – Kelly Pells, Watford
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The sad thing is that a presumably delighted Samantha is now governing papers which were once good and thorough with healthy circulations and bonny staff numbers but which are now pale, thin and lacklustre. It seems nothing she can do will halt these declines. Many of us old folk are glad we worked in happier times when there was at least solid job satisfaction on papers we were usually proud of.
Or is it better now? Have we got it wrong?…..V.Meldrew.
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I was looking through to see the ‘sub-editor of the year’ but then I remembered… there’s none left!
Sacked to the very last one (apart from the ones just taken over and about to be sacked!).
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“Best Use of Photography or Video”
What does that actually mean?
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