Brighton and Hove journalist wins Local Democracy Reporter of the Year award

Brighton and Hove journalist Sarah Booker-Lewis has won the Local Democracy Reporter of the Year award.

The prize was presented by BBC political correspondent and Any Questions host Alex Forsyth at the annual Local Democracy Reporting Service Awards in Manchester.

It comes a year after she won the prize for Best Use of Social Media, presented by the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, for her coverage of the general election.

The Brighton and Hove News reporter’s success also comes after recognition in previous years, having been a runner up in the social media category and freedom of information (FoI) categories.

Mrs Booker-Lewis, 54, said: “I was thrilled to win the Local Democracy Reporter of the Year award. It was a huge surprise. Everyone was so happy for me.

“The annual awards are very competitive and even making it on to the shortlist is tough so being the overall winner is very exciting.”

The Local Democracy Reporting Service was set up and is funded by the BBC, working with suppliers from the local news sector, including Brighton and Hove News.

The scheme has provided more than 500,000 stories up and down the country since it started in 2018 including thousands about Brighton and Hove City Council.

They are available for the BBC and any of the 1,000+ members of the BBC Local News Partnership to publish for free. The news partners include TV and radio stations, newspapers and news websites.

Mrs Booker-Lewis is one of 165 local democracy reporters, each employed by a publisher in their respective area and covering their local councils.

She is one of the longest-serving local democracy reporters, having joined Brighton and Hove News in May 2018. She has worked as a news journalist for more than 25 years.

Her work as a local democracy reporter has been published by the BBC and news partners including The Argus, Sussex World and More Radio.

Brighton and Hove News said: “Sarah works hard to help the widest possible audience understand the decisions being taken by Brighton and Hove City Council, the way in which decisions are made and how they will affect people.

“Her work is trusted, not least because of her diligence, balance and basic decency.

“She is fair to councillors of all parties and none and to officials who have the challenging job of providing public services across the area and fair to those who rely on those services.

“She reports the concerns of those who have had problems in their dealings with the council or those who want to speak up on behalf of themselves or others in their communities.

“We’re very proud of Sarah and delighted that her hard work has been recognised with this well-deserved award. Her exemplary journalism makes a real difference to people’s lives.”