Writing Talent on Show in the KES Journalism Competition

The KES Journalism Competition, now in its third year, is testament to the burgeoning culture of journalism within the school. 2021 saw more entries than ever before, and our online school newspaper ‘Reviewed’ is now an established feature of the VLE, a place where pupils explore topics from conspiracy theories to game theory; computer games to the beautiful game; Kanye West to East/ West tensions. Our young journalists are unafraid of provoking debate, asking big questions like ‘Why is poetry the best form of self-expression?’ ‘Is racism a product of nature or nurture?’ ‘Will Covid kill off capitalism?’ ‘Was mathematics discovered or invented?’  With many KES students going on to study Journalism degrees and pursue careers in the media, the KES Journalism Competition is a great springboard for writing talent.

This year we were thrilled to invite Emma Clegg, editor of The Bath Magazine, to be our judge. Emma has worked as a lifestyle editor of both books and magazines and as a researcher and writer on subjects from health and design to interiors and cookery. ‘Bringing words to life on the page is my trade,’ says Emma who knows the importance of research, of having strong commercial antenna to spot an on-trend idea. ‘As a journalist the key is writing fresh, sparkling copy, as well as editing and reworking words to give ideas an extra punch that will keep people reading.’ 

In our Junior Category, pupils from Years 7 – 9 tackled big topics. Kaan Demirtas (Year 7) was Highly Commended for his balanced and insightful review of the future of UK Defence, which was superbly researched and thoughtfully explored. Also Highly Commended was Alex Gentle (Year 7) for his piece ‘HS2 – Destructive or Constructive?’, a detailed and thought-provoking analysis of the pros and cons of the high-speed rail link. Two Year 9 restaurant reviews took the Runners-Up spots. Ed Blackwall’s ‘I came looking for copper, but I found gold’, was so vivid and evocative it left the reader’s mouth-watering, whilst Jeremy Hewett’s ‘Daft and Deadly Dinners’ was not for the squeamish – think ‘Deadly Sixty’ meets Bushtucker trials in this whistle-stop tour of weird world cuisine!

The winner of the Junior Journalism Prize 2021 was Raimi Jabbour for a nuanced and sophisticated film review. ‘Analysing a film is a demanding exercise, and 2001 A Space Odyssey offers more challenges and layers than most,’ observed our judge. ‘I wish that I had read Raimi’s piece before I watched the film years ago – a physical impossibility I do realise – because I would have understood it a whole lot better. The real achievement I’d say is the three-stage structuring of the feature: what you need to know, Stanley Kubrick and the meaning to the monolith. The summary of the story is a precis masterclass, and the final two paragraphs show ideas about Kubrick’s devices and intent that makes sense of a film that’s defined by enormous ideas and ambiguity. There’s a real storytelling quality in parts, which is very engaging and effective: “As a viewer watches the black rectangle slowly float across their screen, they might think back to earlier points in the movie…” And then conversational touches that draw you in – “I think that was smart, because…” – and this also shows the personal quality of the writing. The final staccato sentence, following one with multi phrases, is wonderful. Bravo.

In the Senior Category there was such a wealth of entries, it was an almost impossible task to whittle down a shortlist, and even harder for our judge to select the eventual winners. Three entries were Highly Commended. Olly Howard (Year 13) proved himself to be a sports journalist in the making with his no-holds-barred analysis of Pep Guardiola’s tenure as Manchester City boss. Tallulah Brady (Year 13) wrote on the rise of conspiracy theories, in a feature that explores the increasing polarisation and paranoia induced by social media algorithms. Ollie Cochran (Year 12) proved himself to be a future Barry Norman or Jonathan Ross as he analysed the importance of the ‘long-shot’ in the films of Alfonso Cuaron.  

Runners-Up in the Senior Category were Joshua Stokes (Year 12) who offered up a lyrical review of the game ‘Florence’ which could seduce even the staunchest computer-game-shy to boot-up, and ‘She was Just Walking Home: A Story of 3 Women’  by Zara Branigan (Year 12) which offered up a devastatingly powerful response to  the Sarah Everard Murder which packs a real punch to the gut.

But it was Olivia Laughton (Year 11) who scooped the 2021 KES Journalism Cup with ‘Why is Britain Always looking Backwards?’ a powerfully thought-provoking piece on how the UK obsession with the past is hampering our future prospects. ‘This piece is thoroughly researched, well-structured and authoritative,’ observed our judge. ‘Olivia deals with big ideas – a complex history, an assessment of a national psyche that’s dominated by it and positive advice for the future – and it’s done with flair and pace. This is not a dry, laboured written exercise, it’s quite simply a wonderful read – Olivia writes fluidly and with an understanding of Britain’s colonial mentality that might make you think she was 40 rather than 16. Her perspective is strong, and I was carried along by her energetic argument, which is incredibly relevant at this moment in time. I love the first sentence, the sophisticated vocabulary and the way she backs up her arguments with examples. Most of all I loved the ease and confidence of her writing and its assured, critical stance – this is a sublime and engrossing reading journey, which would fit with ease within the relevant review section of a leading newspaper or magazine.’

You can read the two prize-winning entries below, and all other pieces can be found on the VLE via ‘Reviewed’, our online school newspaper, where you will also find a wealth of articles from pupils of all ages on a fascinating range of topics. All keen journalists are encouraged to submit their work to our Year 12 editorial team and details of how to submit can be found on the ‘Reviewed’ pages. 

Olivia Laughton - Overall Winner of the 2021 Journalism Competition

Raimi Jabbour - Junior Winner of the KES Journalism Competition