Journalism alumni trainee is feature writer of the year at NCTJ Awards
Rory MacNeish recently achieved his gold standard NCTJ diploma on the college’s fast-track course before moving into the freelance industry.
He since then took on a short traineeship with the Glasgow Bell, a digital online news and magazine site.
During the spell, Rory produced a series of feature articles about various issues and different characters relating to the city. Two in particular were submitted to the NCTJ awards which in turn gained him the accolade and the plaudits from the judges.
The first was about a guerilla marketing campaign from an anonymous source targeting bike owners. Rory, himself had been targeted with stickers on his bike which ominously read: “Pavement riders, red light jumpers, lightless fools – the locksmith is coming for you all.” He started to investigate this which led to uncovering a great story which you can read here.
However, it was his second submission which the judges were especially interested in. The Chessman is about a 66-year-old man who plays chess on a regular basis with randoms and regulars on Woodlands Road. But there’s a complicated story that Rory unfolds about the player in the article which can be read here.
The NCTJ judging panel (collectively) said: "It was a pleasure to read so much good journalism and we all agree that Rory is a worthy winner. His piece on the chess-playing asylum seeker was the stand-out: he spotted a fascinating tale, brought the characters to life and wrote the story beautifully."
On receiving the award in Brighton on Tuesday 24th March, Rory said: “I feel privileged that many different people living in Glasgow entrusted me with their stories, and am grateful to The Bell for providing the space and guidance to tell them.
“I returned to higher education with much trepidation as a mature student following several years of moving between different jobs. Building confidence in my academic abilities and then in my chosen career as a journalist has been a gradual, often uncomfortable but always interesting and fulfilling process. For that reason, winning this award means a great deal. I hope it will help me to continue telling such stories.”
Curriculum Manager for Journalism, Ross Nixon is delighted for his former student: “Rory’s writing is just beautiful. The way he crafts his stories are just lovely. They’re like the equivalent of short film in how he manages to create a connection between his contributors and his audience. I was so happy to see that the judges felt the same way after I read the piece. To create an especially emotive piece with just words shows just how talented Rory is. We can’t wait to see what the future holds in store for him. The whole department is so proud of him, especially his feature writing lecturer, Robert Blair.
“I also want to thank the Glasgow Bell for providing Rory with this opportunity and to all the media and news outlets who open their doors to our students on a regular basis. These work placements add such a brilliant experience to their overall journalism education.”
If you are interested or if you know someone is interested in studying journalism at Glasgow Clyde College, click here to view the different courses taught at our Cardonald campus.