A new award has been launched for student journalists to recognise the challenges they have faced during the coroanvirus lockdown.

The BJTC, the UK’s industry-backed training body for online and broadcast journalism, has launched its 2020 Student Journalism Awards with an emphasis on excellence in virtual and remote news coverage.

A special category, Best Virtual/Online Newsday, has been added this year to recognise the challenges faced by courses producing content under COVID-19 restrictions and the suspension of face-to-face teaching.

Entires are also now being welcomed across 11 other categories.

BJTC chief executive Jon Godel said: “BJTC course leaders and students have risen to the same challenges as our industry colleagues in recent months – finding inventive ways to tell their stories remotely, making the most of the available technology and ensuring a safe working environment.

“We have been impressed by the huge efforts made by students and their lecturers as they adapted to producing content remotely, and we are looking forward to recognising that in this year’s awards.”

Entries close on the 1 October 2020 and details of how to enter can be found here.

The award ceremony is planned for 10 November at BBC Birmingham.