The editor of Computer Weekly, winner of the 2024 British Journalism Award for Campaign of the Year, has emphasized the importance of specialist publications in producing quality journalism that deserves recognition from the national media.
Computer Weekly was honored for its extensive coverage over 15 years of the wrongful convictions of Post Office subpostmasters due to faulty accounting software. Bryan Glick, editor since 2009, expressed gratitude to the national media for their coverage of the Post Office scandal but urged them to pay attention to the wealth of great journalism produced by specialist titles like Computer Weekly.
The magazine published around 350 stories on the Post Office’s faulty Horizon software between 2009 and early 2024, shedding light on the miscarriage of justice faced by subpostmasters. The story gained national attention with the release of ITV drama “Mr Bates vs The Post Office,” leading to a law passed by Parliament to quash the convictions of affected individuals.
Former Computer Weekly journalist Rebecca Thomson was recently awarded an OBE for her work on the scandal. Glick highlighted the importance of specialist publications in covering stories on cybersecurity and data privacy that are relevant to everyone in the country.
Glick acknowledged that while Computer Weekly may not currently be covering scandals on the scale of the Post Office affair, their unique understanding and engagement with audiences allow them to report stories that should be considered national news. He emphasized the value of long-term campaigning journalism in achieving change and praised British media for its power in bringing about justice.
Overall, Glick expressed optimism about the impact of journalism in driving change, noting that the success of the Post Office scandal campaign was a testament to the power of British media. He credited both journalism and dramatization for bringing attention to the scandal and ultimately leading to progress for the victims.
Read more: Attention to Post Office Horizon IT scandal follows 14 years of dogged journalism
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