News / Media shortlisted
SHETLAND features prominently in this year’s Highlands and Islands Media Awards with both Shetland News and The Shetland Times being shortlisted.
Shetland Times reporter Ryan Taylor is one of three journalists shortlisted for the Reporter of the Year award for three articles he submitted, including his exclusive interview with helicopter crash survivor Martin Tosh.
Taylor was the first reporter in the country to speak to a survivor of the dreadful incident off Sumburgh where four people died when their Super Puma plunged into the sea.
Taylor also submitted articles about the 20th anniversary of the Braer and a story about a Highland farmer planning to raise Shetland cattle in Australia.
The Shetland Times is up against The Stornoway Gazette and the Island News and Advertiser, based in Benbecula, North Uist, for the Newspaper of the Year award.
The nomination is an accolade for Shetland Times editor Adam Civico after his first full year in at the helm of the islands’ weekly paper.
The Times submitted three editions from 2013, including their coverage of the Sumburgh helicopter crash, the Scottish cabinet’s visit in July and the launch of the Drop the Debt campaign.
Civico said he was especially glad that both Taylor and the paper had been shortlisted.
“I’m pleased that we’ve been recognised for the hard work that has taken place this year and delighted to have reached the final three,” he said.
Shetland News has been shortlisted for the second year in a row after winning the Highlands & Islands Best Use of Digital Media trophy last year, and being shortlisted for the UK news website of the year.
The website submitted two of its popular live updates, one on the day following the August helicopter crash which saw the first publication of retired engineer Peter Hutchinson’s extraordinary photos of the ditched chopper washing ashore.
They also submitted the live report from November’s education debate during which councillors backed Don Ledingham’s suggestion to reduce north isles secondaries to S1 and S2 institutions.
Shetland News partner Pete Bevington said: “It’s great to be shortlisted again. It would be quite something to win two years in a row.”
There were 134 nominations for the 11 separate awards and the winners will be announced on 7 February.
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