FOI investigator wins top award

Investigative journalist Jenna Corderoy had success at this year’s prestigious British Journalism Awards, bringing home the prize for Campaign of the Year.

The City alumnus and visiting lecturer was honoured in recognition of her work for openDemocracy, an independent media platform reporting on British public life, with the aim of holding power to account. The outlet described the achievement as “the biggest prize of [their] 21 year history.”

Ms Corderoy spent months on a team investigating Freedom of Information (FOI) censorship, involving journalists, researchers and members of the public being denied their right to information by public bodies; shining a light on the corrupt machinations of government secrecy.

Asurprise appearance by former prime minister David Cameron put City journalism students’ interviewing skills to the test. After a visit shrouded in secrecy, the politician admitted that the questions he faced were “quite challenging”.

Mr Cameron spoke to the students about the nature of the relationship between politicians and the media on the same day that Isabel Oakeshott leaked Matt Hancock’s ministerial WhatsApp messages.

Professor Barney Jones, lecturer at City and former Editor of the Andrew Marr Show, organised the event. Right until the last minute, the political guest remained anonymous as a security precaution. Audience members were shocked to uncover his identity upon their arrival at the free event.

Professor Jones said: “David Cameron speaks publicly rarely nowadays and he was very generous in giving up an evening to come to City’s journalism department.”

When Professor Jones previously