2005 Bradford & Bingley Personal Finance Media Awards Winners Unveiled

Now in their 19th year, the awards - regarded as the “Oscars” of personal finance journalism - were presented by Bradford & Bingley Group Chief Executive, Steven Crawshaw and Dermot Murnaghan of BBC Breakfast News.

The judging process was independently designed by The Personal Finance Research Centre at Bristol University. The short-listing and judging panel were:

• Mona Patel – Investment Management Association
• David Cresswell – Financial Ombudsman Service
• Rob McIvor – Financial Services Authority
• Mick MacAteer – Which?
• Rob Guy – Timothy James & Partners
• Chris Cummings – Association of Independent Financial Advisers
• Sue Anderson – Council of Mortgage Lenders
• Ian Mullen – British Bankers Association
• Andy Flemming – National Association of Pension Funds
• Paul Smee – Association for Payment Clearing Services
• Roger Anderson – Headline Money
• Siobhan Roberts

The winners and runners up are as follows:

Personal Finance National Journalist of the Year:

Isabelle Kassam (Freelance) was named Bradford & Bingley Personal Finance National Journalist of the Year. She was presented with £5,000, a trophy and certificate.

Alexander Jolliffe (Financial Times) was named as the runner up in this category. The judge’s praised his “handling of financial news issues.”

Personal Finance Newcomer Journalist of the Year:

Miles Brignall (The Guardian) won the award for the Bradford & Bingley Personal Finance Newcomer Journalist of the Year. The category rewards journalists who have less than two years experience in covering the sector. The judges highlighted Miles’ clear understanding of the subjects he covers.

James Coney (Daily Mail) was awarded runner up. The judges singled James out for understanding his readership and producing well-researched and relevant articles.

Personal Finance Trade Journalist of the Year:

This award, in its third year, went to Jeff Salway (Money Management). The judges highlighted his industry knowledge and an ability to take complex subject matters and make them digestible for his readers.

James Salmon (Money Marketing) was awarded runner up and was praised for his ability to identify key news stories for his readers.

Personal Finance Regional Journalist of the Year:

Francis Shennan (The Herald) won the award and the judges praised his ability to engage his readership.

Conal Gregory (Yorkshire Post) was awarded runner up and praised for his easy to read style.

Personal Finance National Broadsheet Newspaper of the Year:

The Financial Times (edited by Rob Budden) was named as Bradford & Bingley Personal Finance National Broadsheet Newspaper of the Year. The newspaper caught the judges’ eyes with its well-structured and thoroughly interesting approach to personal finance.

The Sunday Times (edited by William Kay) was named runner up for its consistent, high quality journalism.

Personal Finance National Tabloid Newspaper of the Year:

The Sunday Express (edited by Chris Torney) was named Bradford & Bingley Personal Finance National Tabloid Newspaper of the Year. The judges felt the paper had developed into a thoroughly well presented publication.

This year’s runner up was The Daily Express (again, edited by Chris Torney). The paper was highlighted for its tireless campaigning and ability to appeal to its readership.

Personal Finance Trade/Professional Magazine of the Year:

Investment Week (edited by Kira Nickerson) was awarded Bradford & Bingley Personal Finance Trade/Professional Magazine of the Year and was praised for its combination of news and interesting features.

Mortgage Strategy (edited by Robyn Hall) was awarded runner up. The judges commended the magazine for its different and innovative approach to trade reporting.

Personal Finance New Media of the Year:

Moneysavingexpert.com was chosen as the Bradford & Bingley Personal Finance New Media of the Year. The site was commended for its plethora of useful tips and hints and its consumer focussed articles.

BBC Online was awarded runner up and was praised for its interesting news stories presented in a helpful, easy to digest manner.

Personal Finance Broadcast Programme of the Year:

Money Box Investigates was named Bradford & Bingley Personal Finance Broadcast Programme of the Year. The judges felt the programme dealt a very important issue for all consumers in a very digestible manner.

The runner up was the BBC’s Working Lunch. The judges commented on the programme’s continued ability to get to the very heart of its subject matter.

Personal Finance Consumer Financial Magazine of the Year:

Choice (edited by Teri Harman) was named Bradford & Bingley Personal Finance Consumer Financial Magazine of the Year. The judges felt that it was an extremely well presented magazine providing a much-needed resource to many consumers.

Money Observer (edited by Andrew Pitts) and Bloomberg Money (edited by Julian Marr) were named runners up and commended by the judges for dealing with their subject matters in a clear and an informative way.

Personal Finance News Scoop of the Year:

James Salmon (Money Marketing) won the News Scoop of the Year for his first-rate reporting on the Prime Minister’s swipe at the FSA. The judges congratulated James for breaking the story before many political reporters.

Lucy Warwick-Ching (Financial Times) was awarded runner up for her scoop on the industry’s lack lustre feelings towards stakeholder products in aftermath of the Sandler Report.

Personal Finance Consumer Campaign of the Year:

Isabelle Kassam (freelancer) won this category for her campaign on the Child Trust Funds in The Sun. The judges awarded first prize to Isabelle for her powerful campaign addressing an important issue for her readers.

The Observer Cash Team (edited by Jill Insley) was awarded runner up and praised for a balanced campaign on Inheritance Tax Reform.

-ENDS-

For further information please contact the Bradford & Bingley press office on 020 7067 5632/5647.