Former Visiting Fellow wins prestigious award
A former Visiting Fellow has won a Society for Professional Journalists award for the opening chapter of a Reuters Institute book. Charles Lewis, who spent time at the institute in 2015, wrote 'Tear Down These Walls: Innovations in Collaborative Accountability Research and Reporting' for the book, Global Teamwork: The Rise of Collaboration in Investigative Journalism, edited by Richard Sambrook. An investigative journalist and Professor at the American University School of Communication, Lewis said: “I want to thank the terrific Reuters Institute folks who were steadfastly encouraging and enthusiastic about my research and writing about 'collaboration' - David Levy, Robert Picard, Rasmus Nielsen and the editor of my chapter and the entire book, Richard Sambrook.”
Professor Lewis's original intention was to produce an entire book on journalism collaboration but his career and personal circumstances meant this was not possible. A brainstorming session with reporters from across Europe and the US some time after his fellowship gave rise to the idea of a collectively written book, published by the Reuters Institute, in which his chapter is the first.
The chapter won the award in the category of ‘Research About Journalism’. Lewis will accept the accolade at the Sigma Delta Chi Awards National Press Club in Washington DC in June alongside winners in other categories including Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo (for Investigative Reporting), and staff at the Capital Gazette (for Editorial Writing).
