Jaldeep Katwala is thrilled to be announcing the finalists of the inaugural Tenacious Journalist awards
In October 2024, Changing Ideas and PINF announced a new annual award celebrating the power of tenacious journalism. We want to back journalists to cover stories that have the widest and deepest impact.
The Tenacious Journalist Award recognises the contribution of public interest journalists and supports them to bring important stories to life and inspire real social change.
Thanks to the financial support of the funder David Graham from Changing Ideas, who’s funding a generous £100,000, we’ll be working with this amazing group of tenacious journalists over the next few months to develop their stories and supporting them to learn from and share with each other.
It was extraordinarily difficult to decide who to award. Huge congratulations to: Adam Bychawski, Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff, Finbarr Toesland, John Plummer, Rhiannon J Davies, Sarah Hartley, Sean Morrison, Tabitha Stapely, and Wil Crisp.
Let's meet our winners, and find out what tenacious journalism means to them.
Adam Bychawski
I'm truly honoured to receive this grant. As a freelancer, pursuing ambitious stories without the backing of a newsroom can be challenging. But thanks to the generous support of the Tenacious Awards, I have the opportunity to investigate a subject too often overlooked. Now comes the hard work – I hope to live up to the award’s name by pursuing the truth with determination.
Adam Bychawski is a freelance journalist and former staff reporter for openDemocracy. He received a high commendation in the category of Political Journalist of the Year at the 2023 Press Awards for his reporting on political lobbying. In 2024, he was recognised with a high commendation for Health Journalist of the Year for his reporting on the pandemic and mental health services. His stories have been published in the Guardian, the Observer and DeSmog.
Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff
To me, being tenacious is inherent to my journalism practice. It is the righteous fire in my belly that I feel when challenging injustice, and the quality I seek out in collaborators. It is the attitude I see in so many of the people who I most admire. It is something that can coexist beautifully with kindness.
Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff is an award-winning journalist, writer and editor, working across disciplines including journalism, literature and the screen. In 2024 she completed a fellowship at The University of Oxford and the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, investigating media coverage of missing people. Formerly Editor-in-Chief of gal-dem and a senior staffer at The New York Times, her books include Black Joy (2021) and Mother Country (2018).
Finbarr Toesland
Not being discouraged by seemingly insurmountable obstacles and always digging deeper.
Finbarr Toesland is a multi-award winning journalist committed to illuminating vital human rights stories and under-reported issues. He has reported on war crime allegations in Ukraine for The i paper and openDemocracy, travelled to Berlin's first LGBTQ refugee centre for NBC News and investigated Europe's invitation-only conversion therapy conference as part of a cross-border collaborative project.
John Plummer
Reporting on issues that matter, without fear or favour, and not letting go. Sounds simple, but every journalist knows how difficult it is these days.
John Plummer started his career as a journalist at the Wisbech Standard in 1989. He's contributed as a writer and editor to numerous publications, including The Times and Third Sector. He was appointed editor of the Stray Ferret in 2020.
The Stray Ferret is an independent digital publication aiming to fill the news void left by declining print media.
Rhiannon Davies
To me tenacious means showing up for your community – and continuing to do so. At a local journalism level this can mean sticking with the story that is not deemed big enough for the nationals, but that really matters to the people you serve. The community-based local news publishers who make up The Scottish Beacon are run by people who truly care about the stories they cover and are tenacious enough to push for change.
Rhiannon Davies is the founder of multi-award-winning Greater Govanhill CIC which includes a solutions-focused community magazine and The Community Newsroom. She set up The Scottish Beacon as a collaborative network of 25 independent, community-based publications from across Scotland. She is the author of a Manifesto for Greater Community Media – which came from a fellowship spent visiting pioneering community-centred media in North America.
Sarah Hartley
Being tenacious means giving my all to advocate for campaigners, amplify their voices with my journalism and so do the right thing for people and the planet.
Sarah Hartley’s journalism is focused on environmental journalism at The Northern Eco - a newsletter and website she founded in 2023. Her work there covers issues such as river pollution, sustainable business development, biodiversity and wildlife. A carbon literacy facilitator accredited by the Carbon Literacy Project, Sarah is also a 2024 Climate Arena Fellow at Arena for Journalism in Europe.
Sean Morrison
It means being persistent, determined, resilient, and probably stubborn. You need to embody these things to break difficult stories – so tenacity is a good quality for journalists to have.
Sean Morrison is a journalist for the Bristol Cable. He leads on the organisation's investigations, and specialises in reporting on social issues, police accountability and the criminal justice system. The Bristol Cable is a community-owned media cooperative, owned by thousands of people across Bristol. Its aim is to help redefine local journalism as a community asset.
Tabitha Stapely
Being tenacious means committing to something even if it costs you dearly.
Tabitha Stapely trained as a journalist at the London College of Printing. She worked for GQ, The Telegraph, Red, and Elle, before leaving mainstream media in 2013 to focus on local journalism. She founded and edits the Tower Hamlets Slice, which has led investigations into corruption at Brick Lane’s Truman Brewery, affordable housing in Canary Wharf, and the decline of Bangla language and culture.
Wil Crisp
Being tenacious means believing in yourself enough to pursue the truth even when powerful corporations and individuals are putting obstacles in your path.
Wil Crisp is the founder of the investigative journalism group Point Source and has worked for news organisations including the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Bloomberg, the Times, the Independent, the BBC, Sky News and the Guardian. He has reported from conflicts across the Middle East and Africa. Recently, he has focussed on research projects about environmental issues, finance, and human rights.
Congratulations to all of them, and we look forward to sharing their work - as it's ready - over the course of 2025. Don't miss a story - sign up to our newsletter below!