26
Sept
The Times launches investigative journalism award to honour Harrogate man
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The life and work of the late Andrew Norfolk, the tenacious Harrogate-based journalist who exposed the grooming gangs scandal, are to be commemorated with a special award by his former employer, The Times.
The newspaper has created the Andrew Norfolk Investigative Journalism Award in conjunction with the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) to honour his legacy and to support the next generation of investigative journalists.
The award is open to applicants who hold the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism at gold standard, and offers a one-year, paid internship in investigative journalism with The Times.
Former Ashville College head boy Andrew was widely regarded as one of the finest journalists of his generation.
He began his career as an NCTJ-trained journalist at the Scarborough Evening News before spending 24 years at The Times, where he became chief investigative reporter.
His work to reveal the truth of what was going on in towns such as Rotherham and Rochdale led directly to many more criminal convictions, as well as to changes to the law.
He won the Paul Foot Award and the Orwell Prize for his investigations and was named the 2014 Journalist of the Year at the British Journalism Awards.
Andrew died in May this year, at the age of 60, shortly after retiring from The Times. You can read his obituary here.
The tributes at the time were led by the Prime Minister, Sir Kier Starmer, who said:
He wasn’t just an incredibly talented reporter, at The Times and elsewhere, he was driven by the desire to call our attention to injustice and protect the most vulnerable.
The Andrew Norfolk Investigative Journalism Award was announced yesterday at Andrew’s memorial service at St Bride’s Church on Fleet Street in London.
Jeremy Griffin, executive editor of The Times, said:
It was a privilege to work with Andrew on so many of his investigations and to be reminded, every time, that tenacious public-interest journalism serves the readers who put their trust in us.
This award is a testament to Andrew’s legacy and I know he would be quietly, but immensely, proud.
Joanne Forbes, chief executive of the NCTJ, said:
Andrew was a phenomenal journalist whose courage, empathy and integrity left a profound mark on our profession. This award will ensure his influence lives on by giving an aspiring investigative reporter the chance to follow in his footsteps. We are honoured to partner with The Times on this fitting tribute in Andrew’s name.
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