Reporter Deb Luxon has spoken of her pride at seeing her work celebrated alongside the best young talent in a national award.
Cambrian News reporter Deb was one of the six finalists in the Young Journalist of the Year category in the annual Society of Editor’s Media Freedom Awards 2024.
Having joined our editorial team in December 2023, her nomination was based on her extensive feature and investigative reporting skills with the judges particular impressed with her work detailing the death of Carol Kovacs in Aberystwyth harbour in June and the homelessness issue facing the region, along with her work uncovering waiting times for cancer treatments.
Although she did not return to Wales with the trophy this time, Deb was buoyed by the experience of attending annual Society of Editor’s annual awards.
She said: “I did not win but was in very good company in the awards category as winner Kaf Okpattah of ITV News London did an expose on guards dealing drugs at Wandsworth prison.
“It was an honour to be acknowledged in the top six and a great experience to be in the room with people responsible for such amazing stories being told.
“I even had people coming up to me recognising me for the work which won me the nomination.
“I was particularly struck by the story behind the regional investigation of the year, Catching a Killer: The Murder of Emma Caldwell by BBC Scotland News.
“This investigation into a cold case brought the killer to light and put him behind bars, after discovering that it was the same man the journalists had been working with for months, who had framed himself as a wronged suspect.
“The winner of photojournalist of the year Simon Townsley of the Telegraph was impressive for his incredible work on Iraqi women setting themselves on fire to free themselves from violence. The images speak for themselves.”
The Cambrian News was named as finalist for the Welsh newspaper of the year at Welsh Media Awards alongside the County Times, the Rhyl Journal and eventual winner the Western Telegraph.