A reporter who studied to become a journalist while working full-time has been honoured for his media law exam performance.

Charlie Moloney has been presented with the Oxford University Press media law award for the best essential media law exam in 2017-18, which was undertaken as part of his National Council for the Training of Journalists diploma.

Charlie, left, scored 96pc in the exam and graduated in July 2018 with the gold standard diploma after studying on the Press Association’s part-time course on Tuesday evenings and Saturdays.

While studying, he worked full-time as editor at a business-to-business publishing company AIMed, where he launched a print and digital bi-monthly magazine on artificial intelligence in medicine called AIMed Magazine.

Charlie now works as a news reporter for INS News Agency, which is based in Reading, and his byline has appeared in almost ever national newspaper.

The 24-year-old said: “At the start of 2017 this industry seemed completely impenetrable to me and I wasn’t sure I’d ever find work.

“Despite having managed to get articles published and a few bylines to my name, I didn’t feel like a journalist – it almost felt like pretending to say that I was.

“With the skills I learnt through the NCTJ – an instinct for news, a knowledge of the law and Teeline shorthand – I now see the world of journalism opening its doors to me.

“It was difficult to put in the additional hours needed to work and study at the same time and it means a lot to know that I also managed to get the top grades despite that additional layer of challenge, so I want to thank the NCTJ for recognising me with this award.”

Charlie was honoured along with other journalists in training earlier this month at the NCTJ’s annual Student Council meeting, held at the BBC in MediaCity, Salford.

The full list of winners is as follows:

The ITV News broadcast journalism award
Ed Torrance, University of Sussex

The Facebook production journalism award
Emily Coady-Stemp, News Associates London

The Mark Allen Group business of magazines award
Hannah McLaren, Glasgow Clyde College

The Society of Editors shorthand award (100 wpm)
Ynez Wahab, University of Sheffield

The Sky Sports News shorthand award (110 wpm)
Dora Allday, News Associates London

The Archant award for essential journalism
Gemma Joyce, Brighton Journalist Works

The Archant award for videojournalism
Yusaf Akbar, City of Wolverhampton College

The Oxford University Press media law and regulation award
Charlie Moloney, Press Association Training

The Oxford University Press public affairs award
Joshua Jones, News Associates London

The JPIMedia media law: court reporting award
Sophie Louise Gillott, University of Sheffield

The Premier League sports journalism award
Peter Rutzler, News Associates London