A second-year journalist from Canterbury Christ Church has been nominated for an Amnesty Media Award for her work on the vulnerability of homeless women.
The Amnesty awards recognise “the courage and determination of journalists and editors who put their lives on the lines on the line to tell important human rights stories.”
- Education expert: PM is clueless on tuition fees policy
- Students refused tenancy over issue of gender
On receiving her nomination student Claisse Opulencia said: “I couldn’t believe it at first. I read the email telling me that I’m on the final shortlist and I just stared at it for a while.
“I was rejected by City University and now I’m running against one of their Masters candidates for the award, so I will hopefully do Christ Church proud.”
Other award categories include investigations, documentaries, and features, all hotly contested by the media world’s great and good. Representatives from the BBC, the Guardian, Sky News, the Sunday Times and ITV will be in attendance at the award ceremony in March hosted by Jeremy Paxman.
Kate Allen, Director of Amnesty International UK, said:
“At a time when countries like Turkey are silencing many of their journalists, there’s a pressing need to champion the important work of the free media.
“Our awards celebrate the creativity, the bravery and the skill of some of the world’s best human rights reporters.”
Other entrants competing for recognition on the night will be Ross Kemp’s documentary on Libya’s migrant hell, and BBC Panaroma’s Undercover: Britain’s Immigration Secrets.
Since receiving her Amnesty nomination, Opulencia has also been nominated for an IRN News Award. The winners will be revealed by Sky’s Kay Burley at a glitzy London ceremony in March.
Claisse is the UnifiedFem and Features Editor for CCCU’s Unified.
