What it Takes to Report News
A news article appears on our screen overnight, but the work behind it often spans weeks – sometimes months. Journalism begins with a lead, a suspicion, or a tip. What follows is hours of interviews, research, fact-checking, and the kind of editorial collaboration that never makes the front page. Across the world, quality journalism is recognised both within the news industry and amongst millions of news consumers who want news reporters and editors to help navigate a path between facts and fiction.
As a stark reminder of this, the 2025 Press Awards recognised that top-quality news reporting requires stamina, skill, and a deep commitment to public service. Whether it’s The Times’ M.E. Awareness and Reform campaign, praised for its social impact, or the Sunday Times’ world-exclusive interview with Sir Chris Hoy, a piece of journalism becomes powerful when it is human-driven, responsibly sourced, and creatively delivered.
Even in today’s hybrid media landscape—where podcasts, newsletters, and interactive explainers extend the story across formats—the foundation remains unchanged: original reporting, guided by professional ethics, and grounded in public interest.
In the NMC’s ongoing campaign What it Takes, we call attention to the hidden labour behind the headlines. That applies to reporters just as it does to photographers and videojournalists. Journalists aren’t ‘content providers’ for generative AI—they are investigators, communicators, and guardians of public knowledge. They need protection, credit, and fair reward for their work.
Ursula von der Leyen, the German defense minister, speaks to journalists after being elected president of the European Commission on July 3, 2019, in Strasbourg, France. (Frederick Florin / AFP/Getty Images)
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Europe
Investigation – The Baku Connection Project
– Abzas Media × Forbidden Stories • European Press Prize, Special Award
News Explainer: After Azerbaijani authorities jailed three leading Abzas reporters in late 2023, 40 journalists from 15 outlets took up the baton from exile, coordinating via Forbidden Stories to finish exposés on corruption, pollution and human‑rights abuse inside the Aliyev regime.
Breaking News – Klopp to Leave Liverpool
– The Telegraph • SJA British Sports Journalism Awards, Breaking News
News Explainer: Reporters Chris Bascombe and Sam Wallace confirmed Jürgen Klopp’s shock resignation before any rival desk, using deep club sources to stand up the story that dominated global sports headlines for 48 hours.
Data‑Led Accountability – The Westminster Accounts
– Tortoise & Sky News • Press Gazette Future of Media Awards
News Explainer: A searchable database links every UK MP with declared outside earnings and donations since the 2019 election, marrying Companies House filings, lobbying registers and Hansard entries so citizens can “follow the money” themselves.
Disinformation Watch – Philippines‑China Clash Rumours
– AFP Fact‑Check • Global Fact 12, Gold Standard
News Explainer:Manila‑based reporters Ara Eugenio, Jan Cuyco and Lucille Sodipe exposed a web of look‑alike news sites pumping false naval‑conflict claims for ad revenue; the network’s pages had 10 million followers before takedown.
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North America
Investigative Reporting – Fentanyl’s Supply Chain
– Reuters Staff • 2025 Pulitzer Prize, Investigative
News Explainer: A global team traced precursor chemicals from lightly regulated labs in China to pill‑press outfits in Mexico and U.S. vape shops, revealing policy gaps that keep a lethal drug cheap and ubiquitous.
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Africa
Fact‑Check of the Year – Tinubu Diploma Claim
– BBC Disinformation Team • African Fact‑Checking Awards
News Explainer: Chiagozie Nwonwu, Fauziyya Tukur and Olaronke Alo dug into court filings and U.S. college archives to test allegations that Nigeria’s president forged his Chicago State degree—finding no evidence and enduring fierce political backlash for publishing the verdict.
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Australasia
Sports Investigation – White Line Fever
– Herald Sun • Walkley Award, Sports Journalism
News Explainer: Michael Warner’s year‑long probe uncovered clandestine “off‑the‑books” drug tests inside the AFL and traced cocaine trafficking claims that ended a player’s career, while giving bereaved families a platform to question league policies
