Builder Turned Reporter Scoops Two Journalism Awards

Sports Journalism graduate from St Mary’s University, Twickenham Will Watkinson has been named the best newcomer and best feature writer in the East of England. Will, a reporter at the Essex Chronicle, scooped the double prize at the EDF Energy East of England Media Awards held at Carrow Road, Norwich in February 2015. He won the Newcomer of the Year award after exposing a pillar of the community as a paedophile and the Feature Writer of the Year Award for what the judges called his “empathetic writing.” Will quit his job as a builder at the age of 29 to study on the MA Sports Journalism programme at St Mary’s. He joined his local paper in 2013 while completing his degree, and in the words of the judges, “has since gone on to scale new heights.” Will told reporters at event, “I’m really happy. The whole industry is changing and we are all adapting. People put so much work into their journalism it’s just lovely to be recognised through these awards.” After the awards, Will thanked Academic Director and Programme Director for Sports Journalism Dr Daragh Minogue and his colleagues at St Mary’s. Dr Minogue said, “We are obviously delighted with Will’s achievement. He took a huge risk quitting his job to retrain as a journalist, but he is now doing a job he loves and reaping the rewards of all that hard work and dedication.”