Adam Postans and Kirsty Paterson were jointly named Local Democracy Reporter of the Year at the 2023 Local Democracy Reporting Service and Awards, held at Media City Salford.
Category judge Rozina Breen, Editor-in-Chief and CEO of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, said it was impossible to split the work of “two compelling, tenacious” reporters from what she added was a “wholly impressive” range of entries.
Kirsty, who is based at Falkirk Live, was recognised for a range of work which included:
- Proposals to close 130 council-owned buildings
- The new owners of a fleet of buses immediately pulling 120 vehicles from the road
- A Scottish family that received a £12,000 Scottish Power bill despite having solar panels on their council home
Adam, of Bristol Live, submitted the following entries:
- Successful challenging of police misconduct anonymity decisions
- The revelation of a ‘secret’ report on the £18bn cost of a Bristol underground
- Lack of transparency over house-building delays
Ms Breen said Kirsty’s entries “were all very strongly in the public interest and deeply local - holding to account with a clear focus on ensuring greater transparency for the community she represents”.
She added that Adam’s portfolio was “persistent, and demonstrated accountability and determination to stay with the story”.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service is now approaching its sixth anniversary following its launch in January 2018.
The scheme funds 165 reporter posts across the UK that supply commercial publishers with stories focused on the work of local authorities.
It has published in the region of 60,000 public interest news stories in 2023 for use by in excess of more than 1,100 different news titles.
Mr Stayt said: “It was a pleasure to present well-deserved awards to a cohort of journalists that continue to make a difference, holding local authorities to account across the United Kingdom.
“My congratulations go to the winners and highly-commended across all six categories, but in particular to Adam Postans and Kirsty Paterson for scooping the 2023 Local Democracy Reporter of the Year title.”
