DC Thomson writers awarded for work highlighting violence and abuse against women

DC Thomson writers have been recognised by Zero Tolerance, the Scottish charity which promotes gender equality, and challenges attitudes that ‘normalise violence and abuse against women’.

Journalists from the Sunday Post, The Courier and The Press and Journal were named as winners in the 2021 Write to End Violence Against Women Awards, which the charity has run since 2013.

The awards reward journalists and writers in Scotland who ‘raise awareness of these issues in a responsible and sensitive way’. A total of eight awards were made for articles written over the last year, with four pieces being from DC Thomson titles.

The Press and Journal took two awards. First was for Karen Roberts’ article on the how domestic abuse charities were struggling to cope with rising demand as the Covid-19 crisis increased the risk to victims. In the same title, Alex Watson was recognised for her chillingly candid column about a sexual attack on herself.

Kirsty Strickland from The Courier won the award for her comment piece on how changes to universal credit and tax credits could put women in abusive relationships at risk.

Marion Scott and Craig McDonald at The Sunday Post also picked up an award for their report on how 7,000 domestic violence cases were ‘trapped in Scotland’s courts logjam’.

Organisers of the awards said: “Reporting on violence against women can play a vital role in increasing understanding of violence against women and gender inequality and challenging their place in our society”.

DC Thomson CEO Rebecca Miskin said: “Giving a voice to the unheard and taking people in power to account is vital. It’s what matters to our writers and places them directly at the heart of their communities. I’m exceptionally proud that our journalists are being recognised, not just for the standard of their work but in such an important subject.”