The Wincott Awards 2014

by Tony Major

The winners were:

Wincott Financial Journalism of the year – Chris Giles, Economics Editor, Financial Times

Sir Geoffrey Owen, Elizabeth Wincott-Heckett and Chris Giles

The judges said:    “2014 was Chris Giles’ year. The Financial Times economics editor found flaws in inequality guru Thomas Piketty’s statistics, he figured out that George Osborne’s budget cuts would have to be much deeper than previously understood and he spotted hidden in some World Bank statistics that China was about to become a bigger economy than the US. He even shamed the Bank of England into dropping its bizarre practice of destroying records of its Monetary Policy Committee meetings.”

Personal Finance Journalism of the Year – The Martin Lewis Money Show, ITV

Martin Lewis, presenter ; Mike Blair, executive producer; Alison Martin, series producer; Saira Khan, co-presenter

Alison Martin, Elizabeth Wincott-Heckett, Martin Lewis and Mike Blair

The judges said: “Martin Lewis stages happenings in shopping centres, urging people to change energy supplier or pointing out how much cheaper Zara frocks are in Mediterranean holiday resorts than in the UK high street. Judges described the programme as ‘fun’, ‘irritating’ and ‘a triumph’.”<

Wincott Young Financial Journalist of the Year – Asa Gibson, Strategic RISK

Sir Geoffrey Owen, Elizabeth Wincott-Heckett and Asa Gibson

The judges said: “His authoritative writing suggests a maturity well beyond his years. The judges were particularly impressed by his forensic analysis of the risks of Bitcoin, and with a little-noticed aspect of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH 370 – how social media have overturned traditional approaches to crisis management.”

Wincott Radio Journalism of the Year – BBC Radio 4, ‘The Future is Not What It Used to Be

Martin Wolf, presenter; Jeremy Skeet, editor; Sandra Kanthal, producer

Sir Geoffrey Owen, Elizabeth Wincott-Heckett, Sandra Kanthal, Martin Wolf and Jeremy Skeet

The judges said: “Inequality, and its alleged implications, was one of the most prominent subjects in economic debate in 2014. Martin Wolf’s achievement was to get a group of top economists to speak clearly and simply about this complex subject.”

Wincott Television Journalism of the Year – ‘Exposure’, ITV

Laura Kuenssberg, presenter; David Henshaw – Exec Producer; Lee Sorrell – Producer/Director; Jasleen Sethi – Associate Producer/Director of Cinematography

Sir Geoffrey Owen, Lee Sorrell, Jasleen Sethi, Elizabeth Heckett-Wincott and David Henshaw

The judges said: “A sense of danger grips the viewer as reporters with concealed body cameras posing as workers expose the brutal treatment and unsafe conditions that still prevail in Dacca clothing factories more than a year after the 2013 Rana Plaza building collapse. Presenter Laura Kuenssberg drives the shocking story with passion, but then stands back and lets it tell itself.”

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