Group project makes it to prestigious award

I had to make a quickfire day-trip to London today to the Press Gazette’s prestigious Student Journalism Award. The function was held at Reuters’ swanking new HQ in Canary Wharf.

The reason for my being there? A group project which my web-team and I did at the University of Sheffield was shortlisted for the team category.

The project involved the web (my batch), print and broadcast students in a real time news operation for the May 4 local elections. The nomination was sweeter for me as it was based on the web-site which my team had created. We had put up not just stories about the elections, but also graphics, videos, audios and live results.

So the university paid for three student and two lecturers to go to the ceremony. We left Sheffield in the 8.27am train, arriving at Reuters office at about 11.30am.

The function was hosted by former Mirror editor Piers Morgan. He was as funny and erudite in person as he was in his autobiography.

Left London by the 5pm train, and as such missed the dramatic first quarter final between Germany and Argentina.

And yes, what about outcome of the award? Sadly we lost to some other university. Still, it was a proud moment just to be in the final shortlist.