Alex Crawford To Be Presented With Charles Wheeler Award

Sky News journalist Alex Crawford is to be presented with the Charles Wheeler Award for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcast Journalism in a ceremony held jointly by the University of Westminster and the British Journalism Review (BJR).

The awards ceremony, which will be followed by a keynote speech from BBC Creative Director Alan Yentob, will take place at the University's newly-restored Regent Street Cinema in London's West End on 4 June, 2015.

Alex Crawford is a multi award-winning journalist who has been recognised four times by the Royal Television Society as Journalist of the Year and was awarded Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2012 New Year Honours for her services to broadcast journalism.

Based in South Africa, Alex is a Special Correspondent for Sky News and has reported on the Middle East and the Arab Spring in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain and Libya, as well as covered high-profile news stories such as the trial of Oscar Pistorius.

The event will be attended by Lady Wheeler, senior executives of Sky and BBC, senior journalists, and University of Westminster students, staff and alumni.

Professor Steven Barnett, Professor of Communications in the University's Faculty of Media, Arts and Design, who initiated the award in conjunction with the BJR in 2009, said: "We are delighted that this year's Wheeler award is going to Alex Crawford of Sky News. Her clarity, insight and courage in reporting from some of the world's most difficult areas are in the finest tradition of Charles Wheeler himself. She deservedly follows a long line of distinguished broadcast journalists in winning this award."

The award is determined by the British Journalism Review and was established to celebrate the career and achievements of BBC journalist Charles Wheeler. Previous recipients are Jon Snow, Jeremy Paxman, Jeremy Bowen, Lindsey Hilsum, Alan Little and Robin Lustig.

This will be the 7th year that the University of Westminster hosts the ceremony, continuing its association with the award and underlining its expertise in the fields of media and journalism.
(JP/CD)