The Inverness Courier wins top national award for its Dual the A9 campaign
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People power has helped The Inverness Courier – the John O'Groat Journal's sister title – win News Media Association’s (NMA) Making a Difference award 2023 for its “outstanding efforts in driving change” for its Dual The A9 campaign.
Voted for by the public as part of NMA's Journalism Matters campaign, the award aims to emphasise journalism’s crucial role in society.
“When the Inverness Courier received confirmation that the SNP government would not fulfil its promise to dual the A9 by 2025, the team launched a campaign, starting with a viral front page which garnered over a million views," stated the NMA.
“The team launched a leadership debate with all three SNP candidates, a dedicated section on their website and hosted the A9 Crisis Summit.”
The Metro also collected the award for its Formula For Change stories aiming to make baby formula more affordable.
NMA chief executive Owen Meredith said: “I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to The Metro and The Inverness Courier for winning the prestigious 2023 Making a Difference award in the national and local categories.
“The entries this year have showcased the outstanding work carried out by UK journalists, day in, day out, that keeps us engaged and well-informed.
“These winning campaigns emphasise the vital significance of trusted independent journalism, along with highlighting the news media's ability to deliver powerful investigations, campaigns, and scoops that are important to the public.
“Both Dual The A9 and Formula For Change are exemplary instances of the essential role that journalism plays in our society, shining a light on such important causes. The journalists behind these campaigns should be extremely proud of their achievements.”
Head of audience and content at the Courier’s publisher Highland News and Media, Sarah Fyfe said: "This award is a public vote, showcasing that A9 dualling is of vital importance to people in the Highlands and the government needs to listen.
“It's fantastic for our team to have recognition for the incredible amount of work that has gone into this campaign – it's proof that local journalism has a major part to play in championing community issues.”
She added: “But our campaign won't be over until the A9 is dualled."
