• FIRE magazine’s April comment wins journalism excellence accolade
  • The Coronavirus Journalism Excellence showcase features the best comment journalism of the crisis so far across the UK and international media
  • FIRE’s editorial comment selected from over 600 nominations across eight categories

 

FIRE publisher Fire Knowledge is delighted to announce that FIRE Editor Andrew Lynch’s white paper, Coronavirus: A Five-Step Reset for Fire and Emergency Leaders, has been selected for the Press Gazette’s Coronavirus Journalism Excellence showcase, featuring the best comment journalism of the crisis from over 600 nominations across eight categories, nationally and internationally.

The Press Gazette’s Journalism Matters: Excellence in Reporting Coronavirus series highlights those who have produced outstanding comment and opinion pieces during the pandemic so far. Press Gazette launched the project to showcase some of the crucial work being done by journalists during one of the most challenging times ever for the media industry.

Featured in the April issue of FIRE, the white paper is the first in a series of comments calling for resetting the approach of emergency services. In Coronavirus: A Five-Step Reset for Fire and Emergency Leaders, FIRE questions: ‘Could the pandemic be the first step to ‘resetting’ how society functions?’ and outlines key areas for consideration: Ecosystem, Fire and Rescue, Dynamic Leaders, Resilient Communities and Connected Communities.

Building on the white paper’s assertion that a new architecture for society is necessary, FIRE subsequently called for a Charter for Resilience in a co-authored opinion piece with Security Correspondent Dr Dave Sloggett in the May issue of FIRE.

Speaking about the recognition, FIRE Editor Andrew Lynch said: “Whilst it is flattering to be amongst such esteemed company, it is far more important to me that this provides further opportunity to shine a light on the need for a complete change in our approach to resilience and major disasters.

“We do need a reset in how we evaluate, plan for, respond to and recover from threats and FIRE will continue to press the case for overhauling the system, hence our call for a Charter for Resilience, which I do hope will grab the attention of government.

“More importantly, I hope it will lead to substantive change in making the world a better, safer place, which is why I became a journalist in the first place.”

 

Expert Panel

The Press Gazette’s Journalism Matters: Excellence in Reporting Coronavirus expert panel includes:

  • Former BBC output editor – Dr Karen Fowler-Watt of Bournemouth University
  • Mark Wray – managing director of Press Association Training
  • Editor and author Becky Slack
  • Former night editor of The Times – Liz Gerard
  • Professor of journalism innovation at City University – Jane Singer
  • Apprenticeship training manager at Press Association – Roz McKenzie
  • Former associate editor of The Independent – Michael Crozier
  • Former group editorial services director at Incisive Media – David Worsfold
  • Professor Stephen Jukes of Bournemouth University – formerly global head of news at Reuters
  • Brian Flynn – formerly investigations editor at The Sun
  • Former editorial director of The Sunday Times – Eleanor Mills
  • John Mair – academic and editor of 27 books about the modern media.

 

To read the white paper visit: www.fire-magazine.com/a-new-architecture-for-society For more information on the Press Gazette’s Journalism Matters: Excellence in Reporting Coronavirus visit: www.pressgazette.co.uk