By Crew Member, Phil Weller

The Reporters’ Academy, a unique not for profit media production company run by young people have been shortlisted for a Northern Digital Award. Shortlisted in the ‘Best Low Budget Campaign’ for their extensive coverage of the Oceania nations at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, where the young reporters worked from inside the Athletes’ Village as Press Attaches for the Pacific Island nations, the ceremony will take place 22nd January at the Royal Armouries in Leeds.

Reaching 264 MILLION viewing figures, were achieved through close relations with approximately 100 media outlets and equated to an advertising value of over $919,000(US), The Reporters’ Academy provided hugely successful and popular media coverage of the Oceania teams, the athletes and their stories surrounding the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The young reporters worked with their Commonwealth Games Association (CGA) team management every day to ascertain which stories were a priority. They attended the sports, captured photos, interviewed athletes, wrote up their articles and then distributed the news to the world’s media.

The Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) commissioned The Reporters’ Academy (TRA) to conduct media and public relations services for five Oceania Commonwealth Games Associations throughout the duration of the 2014 Commonwealth Games (Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu) and 100% of the media that received content from TRA said that access to Pacific island athletes increased as a result of TRA. Media stated that they had specifically chosen to work alongside TRA due to “the quality of work they produce as well as the efficiency of the production teams”, shining a light on the otherwise limited promotion of the Oceania teams.

Says Irfaan Khan, Sports Journalist at Fiji TV, who used delivered content during their sports news programmes throughout the duration of the Games: “The reports sent over were very useful to our viewers. It highlighted how Fiji Athletes performed during the Games. It made a big difference since we did not have any of our own reporters on the ground in Glasgow.”

“The Reporters’ Academy enabled us to cover a wider range of international stories across the BBC which we might not have otherwise had,” added Editor and Producer at the BBC Commonwealth Games (UK) Helen Murray.

Elsewhere, Island Sun Newspaper (Solomon Islands) used material obtained from TRA to update the whole country of more than half a million people of their nation’s progress at the Games. “The benefit we received from working in this way was that we were able to access information about our own athletes that attended the games,” enthused Sports Editor Romulus Huta.

For TRA, this project allowed their young people to gain valuable work experience opportunities. They were extensively mentored by industry experts and managed by professional project deliverers, which resulted in ONOC receiving high standards of media coverage whilst TRA gained life changing opportunities for their young crew members.

Each CGA received:
– Daily written reports on their individual competing athletes including mixed zone quotes

– Daily summary on the CGAs competition performance
– All content distributed back to their in-country, regional and international media
– Management of requests from media organisations
– Initiated media coverage in high profile international media outlets
– Press conference and interviewing facilities within Oceania Village
– Access to photographs documenting athletes during competition
– Daily website updates

• And so we have received a nomination for our efforts by the Northern Digital Awards. The awards recognises and celebrates the very best in digital marketing campaigns and talent in the North over 21 select categories. The inaugural event is expected to attract around 300 guests.  
• The full shortlist of nominees is available here.
  http://www.northerndigitalawards.com/2015-shortlist