Ahead of announcing the winner of JR’s inaugural Emerging Journalists Award, Dani Silver speaks to four of the candidates who received special commendations
Last November, JR launched a six-week online journalism programme for aspiring journalists. The series, supported by Jewish News and the Union of Jewish Students, was made up of masterclasses and lectures covering everything from news reporting and arts reviewing, to podcasts and social media. After the 7 October attacks, having journalists who can tell Jewish stories with accuracy, flair and integrity felt more important than ever.
The sessions featured leading journalists such as Jonathan Freedland, Rafael Behr and Hugo Rifkind, the director of the Columbia School of Journalism Jane Eisner and BBC Northern England correspondent Judith Moritz.
The programme culminated in a prize, the JR Emerging Journalist Awards, which asked entrants to write an article on any area of Jewish life. All entries were anonymised. There were also commendation awards, which recognised contributions to the classes.
The judges – Behr, Eisner and JR editor Rebecca Taylor – were bowled over by the scope of the submissions, with subjects ranging from 19th-century sex trafficking to a Jewish interpretation of the TV drama Saltburn. All award winners will receive personalised mentoring and internship opportunities from across the industry.
Here, we hear from the specially commended candidates about their experience of the series, current journalistic endeavours and plans for the future.
