Local reporter wins top award
LOCAL PAPER journalist Eleanor Harding beat off national competition to win the Journalist of the Year award from the mental health charity Mind.
The Wandsworth Guardian reporter was nominated for a series of articles in the paper’s campaign against the stigma surrounding mental illness. “Our year-long campaign aimed to break down the myths surrounding mental health issues in south west London,” Eleanor Harding said.
“We believe we were able to make a real difference at our local level. I’m proud of what we’ve done.”
Other NUJ members featured in the awards, with Independent on Sunday writer Nina Lakhani highly commended for her “consistent investigative reporting on the issues and injustices faced by people with mental health problems”.
The Mind Champion of the Year award went to Alastair Campbell, the former Downing Street media chief, for his awareness-raising work, including BBC documentary Cracking Up and his novel All in the Mind, along with his work for Mind’s anti-stigma campaign Time to Change.