National honours for Evening Express reporters

The Evening Express was celebrating today after tasting glory at a prestigious awards ceremony.

Aberdeen’s best-selling newspaper was successful in three categories at the 40th Scottish Press Awards in Glasgow.

The EE and three of its reporters were shortlisted for awards at a black-tie event last night.

The glittering ceremony was held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Glasgow Central, and was attended by around 400 journalists and others involved in the newspaper industry.

Dale Haslam, the paper’s crime and investigations reporter, was crowned Local/Weekly Reporter of the Year, while sports reporter Callum Law took home the Local/Weekly Sports Writer of the Year gong.

Political reporter Adele Merson was named runner-up in the Political Journalist of the Year category – the only woman to make the shortlist – and was also runner-up in the Local/Weekly Reporter of the Year award.

Evening Express editor Craig Walker said: “Even before the ceremony took place, it was a successful occasion for us.

“It was great to have five opportunities to win, so taking home four trophies is brilliant.

“The team do a great job delivering fantastic features and great exclusives on a regular basis, and it’s wonderful to see that recognised at a national level. The awards are very much deserved.”

Austin Lafferty, chairman of the judges for the Scottish Press Awards, said: “The press and media industry continues to change. The new model is a multi-platform, fast-moving online offering to targeted audiences, but traditional newspapers are not dying – they are re-forging successful ways of presenting news, analysis, features and lifestyle material.

“One thing’s for sure from a judging perspective – the quality of output has never been higher.”

Dale revealed how the Scottish Prison Service had shut down a Facebook page belonging to a man who had been convicted of trying to kill three police officers.

He also told how Snapchat had fixed a flaw that let people track messages that have been sent from or near schools and tracked down a man accused of killing an Aberdeen dad in 2007 who was never prosecuted.

Adele, who was also shortlisted for Political Journalist of the Year in 2018, broke the news of former Aberdeen City Council spin doctor Takki Sulaiman receiving a £63,000 pay-off from the local authority.

Transport Secretary Michael Matheson also admitted in an interview with Adele that contractors hadn’t been straight with Government about the construction of the AWPR and she also revealed how the city council had appointed an employment consultant amid job role cuts.

Adele was also nominated in the Local/Weekly Reporter of the Year category, alongside Dale.

Her highlights included revealing how an anti-Kingsford stadium group created a fake spokesman and a heartbreaking interview with the mum of a boy who fell from a block of flats and had to have half his skull removed.

Meanwhile, Callum exclusively revealed Cove Rangers’ star striker Mitch Megginson had turned down the opportunity join a Premiership team in order to remain with the Balmoral Stadium side.

He also told how discussions had been had about adding another tier to the Scottish football leagues – an issue of local and national significance, while his story of Dons full-back Shay Logan admitting he’d received racist abuse from Celtic fans sparked a nationwide reaction.

In the team awards, the Evening Express was nominated for its collaboration with the Edinburgh Evening News following the SPFL’s decision to hold both League Cup semi-finals at Hampden on the same day.