Entries for the Future Journalist Awards 2024 are now closed. Thank you for so many amazing applications across the different age groups.
Entries will now be given to our judges to decide three finalists for each individual category.
Our judging event will take place this week and we will keep you updated about all the next steps of the FJAs, leading right up until the awards event in April.
A few key things to look out for in the meantime are:
Our special guest announcements
Behind the scenes posts on our socials
Information regarding the finalists
Awards ceremony information
Meet the organisers posts
We have been really impressed with the standard of this year’s applications and have thoroughly enjoyed reading, listening, or watching every entry.
With the awards event just over a month away, updates will be posted regularly on our blog and across all social media platforms – search Staffs Future Journalist awards on Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.
Each year the Future Journalist Awards produce a number of success stories. We receive a variety of submissions that enable participants to create enjoyable content that they feel passionate about.
Success during the FJAs can come in a multitude of different way, such as:
Demonstrating your creativity.
Speaking about subjects that are important to you.
Showing passion about something you love.
Sharing a positive message.
Creating content that immerses your viewers/readers.
We’ve looked back at some previous entries that particularly caught our eye when submitted and are great examples of what the FJAs are all about.
In 2021, year 5 student Abigail reviewed her favourite books, the Harry Potter series. Abigail’s review was very enlightening as well as being a pleasure to watch.
The passion she has for the Harry Potter books shows in the video, which engulfs viewers. This enabled her to give a brief synopsis of the series to inform viewers about the plot.
Abigail’s delivery and camera work were both reasons the video made the final. This is a brilliant foundation for Abigail to build on, encouraging her to continue to review her favourite books and enjoy them that little bit more.
In 2020, year 8 student Max produced a brilliant video to raise awareness about climate change. His video was very informative, easy to follow and touched on an important issue he feels strongly about.
This is a great example of how to use journalism to tackle serious issues. It enables people like Max to voice their beliefs about serious subjects, and Max did it in an excellent way.
Year 9 Daisy was 2019’s winner with her video showing us three tips on how to keep safe on the internet.
Daisy was able to produce a superb video that shares essential tips when it comes to online safety. This submission stood out due to the importance and timelessness of the subject.
The use of transitions enabled Daisy to show off her editing skills and allowed the video to flow making it a fascinating watch. The video also shares a very positive message which gives an added sense of enjoyment whilst watching and encourages others to do the same online.
These were all contributing factors as to why Daisy’s submissions was a resounding success and went on to win the award.
As the holidays are approaching, applicants may be using their spare time to work on their submissions. We’ve decided to explain exactly what Staffordshire University’s mission is during the awards.
What are the main goals of the Future Journalist Awards (FJAs)?
The main goal of the FJAs is to empower young voices within the world of journalism. Whether that be through print, audio or video submission, the awards are held to give younger people a platform to express their journalism skills in any way they like.
We also want to ensure:
We enable young people to demonstrate their creativity through a number of different outlets in a fun and easy way.
That the process of taking part in the awards is enjoyable to anyone who makes a submission.
We can show applicants a number of different ways journalism can be beneficial for them in the most exciting way.
Inspire young people to express their passion for their favourite things, such as sports, music events, politics and much more.
Give applicants the chance to take part in a number of experiences they may not have had before, like workshops, meeting guest speakers and learning important skills that they can use in different situations.
To enable a diverse range of young voices to be heard within the media world.
Our mission after the awards?
At Staffordshire University, not only do we want to see as many applicants as possible during the awards and receive as many entries as we can, but we want the appetite for journalism to continue after the FJAs.
The experiences applicants gain from taking part in the awards can be useful in a number of situations. Skills picked up such as storytelling, editing, recording and lots more could prove to be invaluable forever.
Ultimately, we would love to see young people expressing their imagination in anything they are passionate about. It would be fantastic to see to see a variety of different submissions and potentially spot the next sports presenter, vlogger, radio host or social media star.
