UK journalism award named in honour of Barbara Blake Hannah

London:

British Journalism Awards has instituted a new award aimed at recognising up-and-coming ethnic-minority journalists and named in honour of Jamaican film-maker and journalist Barbara Blake Hannah, the United Kingdom’s (UK) first black on-screen TV news reporter.

The award, sponsored by The Press Gazette, is among a series of new initiatives intended to help the British Journalism Awards better reflect the diversity of the UK.

Sky News reporter Bree Johnson-Obeng first mooted the idea after doing a feature on Blake Hannah last year. She approached Press Gazette and put them in contact with Blake Hannah.

“A lot of black women are written out of history, and it felt like Barbara was a prime example of that. I’m hoping that the things that shut doors for her can be used to open doors for others,” Johnson-Obeng said.

Blake Hannah said she has given her name to this new British Journalism Award in the hope that it will help inspire other journalists to break through barriers in the way that she did.

She spoke about her experiences and about the fact that an award had been named in her honour. “I had no idea that something as simple as getting a job would make me a role model. I am so honoured. My father, Evon Blake, started the Press Association of Jamaica, and I know he is looking down with a big smile on his face,” Blake Hannah said.

“Out of lemons, lemonade has been made,” she said.

Press Gazette editor-in-chief Dominic Ponsford said: “The UK journalism industry has a poor record of reflecting the diversity of the UK, and the Press Gazette British Journalism Awards winners and finalists have historically reflected that.

“When Bree Johnson contacted us with the idea of setting up an award in honour of Britain’s first black on-screen journalist, Barbara Blake Hannah, we thought this was a great way to start to address this problem.

“I’m ashamed to say I was not aware of Barbara’s story, but having spoken to her and read up about her history, I can’t think of a better role model for the next generation of BAME (black and minority ethnic) journalists who are breaking through barriers in the way that she did.”

Submissions to the awards will be free this year for journalists from ethnic-minority backgrounds, for women, and also for any journalist with a disability if they do not work for a news organisation.

All BAME journalists who enter any of the 25 awards categories through the supported-entry scheme will be entered into the Barbara Blake Hannah award.

The deadline for entries is September 30. The winners will be announced at a virtual event that will be held on December 9.