The Evening Chronicle capped a great night at the North
East Press Awards, scooping the title Newspaper of the Year.
The Chronicle, a Trinity Mirror newspaper, was crowned the
region's top publication at the 24th Tom Cordner National Grid
Transco North East Press Awards on Saturday, 14th May.
It is the fourth time that the Chronicle has won Newspaper of
the Year title since the award was introduced in 1990 - a record matched only by
The Northern Echo which last won it in 2002.
Judges were impressed at the 'broad evidence of professional
teamwork of the first order' at the Chronicle.
The panel declared: "It is a paper that spots talent and
cultivates it across the different disciplines of journalism. Its young
journalist material was particularly strong."
The panel also said: "The content and presentation are vibrant
and aggressive in a positive sense. The paper communicates an intense sense of
its location and reaches out to its readers. For its all-round consistency and
vitality, the North East Newspaper of the Year is the Evening Chronicle"
Chronicle editor, Paul Robertson, said: "I'm delighted
we've won this award and with the judges' comments.
"The North East has a fantastic range of both daily and weekly
newspapers. To have been voted the best is a great tribute to the work of my
team who are totally focused on providing a great paper for our army of
readers."
The Chronicle's strong team of reporters was also recognised,
gathering up three of the special-category awards. Industry reporter Gayle
Tomlinson was named a double winner. She won both the Business Reporter of the
Year and the Kate Adie Award for Initiative.
Chief reporter Louise Redvers was named Young Journalist of the
Year and Chronicle news editor John Howe won the community award for his work
when previously with The Sunderland Echo.
The Cordner awards were presented at a ceremony in Newcastle
Civic Centre. The winners received their prizes from ITN journalist Nicholas
Owen, who began his television career in the region.
