Awards season
A special report from Student Publication Association’s National Conference in Exeter
Letter from the Editor
Happy summer reader! Welcome to the latest edition of The Stationer.
Here at The Stationer, we love celebrating the success of talented, young professionals in the content and communications industries. Award ceremonies are one of the best ways to acknowledge the hard work of those shaping society for the better.
Last week, I was delighted to return as a judge for the Shine School Media Awards — a national competition rewarding secondary schools who produce outstanding magazines, podcasts or websites. Unsurprisingly, I was impressed by the efforts made by the writers, marketers, cartoonists and graphic designers of tomorrow. I cannot wait to attend this year’s ceremony at Stationers’ Hall on June 30.
The impact of prize-giving often extends beyond individual recipients: they inspire others to strive for excellence, foster creativity and (in many cases) provide invaluable support while also offering opportunities for professional growth to those who need it most.
Take the First Chapter Award — a programme ran by the Society of Young Publishers which offers prizes to early-career workers who are often unrepresented in “traditional trade awards”, such as librarians, booksellers and volunteers.
Then there is the Student Design Awards — a prestigious global competition which the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce say is a platform to “launch careers”, as winners receive access to resources and events to connect with leading figures.
And in this week’s feature, Eliza Clark reports from the 2025 Student Publication Association’s National Conference in Exeter. She writes about the charity’s expert workshops, training events and flagship award scheme are inspiring the next generation of journalists.
What awards should young people in our sector be applying for? If you know of any, please do get in touch.
And as always, if you are interested in contributing to The Stationer, wish to share a job opportunity, or simply fancy having a chat, feel free to drop Publisher Rob Wilding a line at robert.wilding96@gmail.com.
Enjoy the issue.
Bill Bowkett, Editor of The Stationer.
SPANC: A weekend of celebration and reflection
THE Student Publication Association (SPA) is a charitable organisation that represents more than 230 university publications across the UK and Ireland.
David Gilani, of Middlesex University, founded the association in 2012 and served as its first chair.
The SPA’s ethos is to champion student journalism and inspire the industry’s incoming professionals.
Their National Conference (SPANC) forms the climax of their annual work.
This year’s conference was held at Sandy Park Rugby Stadium, Exeter, from Friday, April 4 to Sunday, April 6, in partnership with University of Exeter’s Exeposé.
The 38-year-old newspaper boasts two Best Publication awards at previous SPANCs — and is particularly noted for its coverage of campaigns, such as Harry’s Law, in response to the student suicide epidemic.
In their role as hosts, the Exeposé committee were heavily involved in the organisation of accessibility initiatives, such as subsidising tickets, to be more considerate of students’ pockets.
SPANC kicked off on Friday night with a pub quiz and karaoke, which allowed delegates to settle in Exeter and bond before meeting industry professionals and the awards ceremony.
Any whiff of competition from students was soon extinguished by an eagerness to follow one another on social media.
Furthermore, the promise of networking with future colleagues — not to mention the provision of complimentary wine — both enthused and relaxed attendees.
Saturday’s publication “Swap Shop” similarly allowed delegates to chat and exchange publications, all within an uplifting atmosphere.
That night’s awards ceremony was a formal dinner event, broken up into two parts: individual awards and whole publication awards.
One particular strength of the SPA is its eagerness to commend individuals, as reflected in categories such as Rising Star and Best Sports Reporter.
Categories such as Best Investigation, won by the London School of Economics magazine The Beaver for its scoop uncovering a “mishandled sexual misconduct investigation into a professor”, reflect the SPA’s championing of students approaching complex and sensitive topics.
The award for Best Publication was taken home by the University of Bristol’s newspaper Epigram.
Daytime conferences across the weekend included a variety of workshops, keynote talks, and panels with professionals working within journalism and related fields.
Sessions such as harnessing artificial intelligence and podcasting reflected awareness of the industry’s evolution and the ever-increasing need to adapt to the multimedia landscape.
Speakers included former Conservative MP Ben Bradshaw and BBC Women’s Hour’s Nuala McGovern, who spoke about the power of asking “Why?” in interviews.
Innate curiosity, translated into accessible and appropriate storytelling, was a common theme across many of the talks.
There was an opportunity to engage with pre-booked workshops, such as one-on-one CV mentorship, and to visit stalls featuring representatives from postgraduate courses and the National Union of Journalists.
Many of the speakers were SPA alumni, or had entered the industry with the skills and confidence that student journalism had provided them. Trustees of SPA include Times lobby reporters Aubrey Allegretti and Geri Scott.
The network is expansive — and it is possible for any member to take part in the Annual General Meeting and run for the next SPA Committee or Officer roles.
The success of York’s Heather Gosling and Exeter’s Rosie Peters-MacDonald in this the recent Executive Committee elections, shows the value the association places on student involvement in its running.
Due to Sandy Park’s remote location, the full weekend programme felt like an exciting bubble away from the current preoccupations of deadlines and dissertations.
The delivery of SPANC was an empathetic flowing exchange, in which students were respected as “journalists”, not simply “aspiring journalists”.
Eliza Clark is Online Editor for the University of Exeter’s arts, culture and lifestyle magazine RAZZ.
A spring picnic and perambulation
ON a sunny Bank Holiday Sunday afternoon, a gaggle of Young Stationers assembled in Postman’s Park for a picnic and tour with Freeman and City of London Guide Ross Hamilton. Having devoured sandwiches, sodas and samosas, the group meandered their way through the streets and shadows of Paul, Bride and Bart, peppered with Ross’s historical anecdotes. Finishing in Fleet Street stalwart, The Punch Tavern pub, many creative ideas on future gatherings were exchanged, including the proposal of a Hallowe’en ghost tour. For those who didn’t make this meeting, we would highly recommend the next.
Get in touch with the Young Stationers by emailing ys@stationers.org.
Industry takeaways
Redbird Capital Partners has purchaced The Daily Telegraph. The US-based firm said Abu Dhabi government-backed International Media Investments, whose majority was stake was stymied by the government stopping foreign state investment in newspapers, will take a minority investment, Press Gazette reports.
A "huge missed opportunity" is how Publishers Association chief executive Dan Conway described MPs’ most recent rejection of proposals to amend the Data (Use and Access) Bill. The Bookseller said the changes would have compelled generative AI firms to reveal each individual work used to train their language models.
Food industry bosses have united to launch a new appeal for Chancellor Rachel Reeves to postpone the introduction of the extended producer responsibility (EPR) “packaging tax”, according to The Grocer. The coalition includes UKHospitality, British Glass and the Federation of Wholesale Distributors.
Ministers are to delay introducing a ban on junk food adverts targeting children until 2026, sparking outrage among health campaigners. The Guardian has more details.
From journaling to letter writing, the young have fallen in love with pens and paper. The Spectator on how stationery is quietly making a comeback.
Opportunities board
Marketing Manager, Luxury Brand, PS Recruits (Somerset) — Apply by May 30
AI Creative Skills Academy, Adobe and General Assembly (Remote) — Apply by June 4
Undergraduate Research Internship, Education Policy Institute (London) — Apply by June 8
Design Intern, The Weber Shandwick Collective (London) — Apply by June 6
Journalism Teacher, ISSOS Summer Schools (Cambridge) — Apply by July 5
The Stationer is edited by Bill Bowkett. Please send thoughts, feedback and corrections to bill.bowkett@btinternet.com. Follow the Young Stationers on Facebook, X and Instagram. For more information, visit www.stationers.org/company/young-stationers.