From the Nominator

Our university is a rich source of compelling stories. We believe it is vital to invest time and energy to bring these fully to life. For several years, we have been producing long-form, media-rich content that not only engages audiences with our research, but that spotlights the individuals at the heart of our institution. The three stories we are submitting illustrate different facets of our content strategy, each told in a clear and engaging manner.

“Shanidar Z: What did Neanderthals do with their dead?” is a deep dive into a fascinating research project in northern Iraq. The “hook” is the publication of a research paper, but rather than just publishing the news release, which focused on the findings, our article transports the reader to the site itself, painting a vivid picture of what it is like to work on an archaeological dig, capturing the thrill of discovery.

“Unexpected experiences” profiles inspirational student Toni Fola-Alade, and the impact the pandemic–and then the death of George Floyd–has had on his final year student at Cambridge.

“High flying academics” is an honest discussion of the challenges faced by the higher education sector as it battles to reduce its carbon footprint. This article shows that we are not afraid to take risks in our writing, holding up our hands as an institution, admitting that we know there are areas where we need to better, and where we do not yet have all the answers.

From the Judges

We were very impressed with the “Shanidar Z” and “Highflying Academics” articles in particular,. They are top-notch, very detailed and interesting. The quality of the writing and the depth of research/interviewing involved in this package of articles was on a level significantly higher than most online-only pieces.