Pippa Crerar wins City Journalism's Golden Ambassador award

Pippa Crerar, Political Editor of The Guardian, has been named the winner of the Golden Ambassador Award, created to mark the 50th anniversary of the Department of Journalism at City St George's, University of London.

Pippa was selected from a longlist of 50 alumni whose work spans political reporting, investigative journalism, international correspondence, media innovation, leadership, culture and campaigning.

She has built a reputation for fearless public-interest journalism. During her career she has broken a series of major political stories, including the revelations that became known as ‘Partygate’ and Dominic Cumming’s trip to Barnard Castle during lockdown while serving as Political Editor of the Daily Mirror.

Professor Karen Fowler-Watt, Head of the Department of Journalism, said:

"Great journalists have never mattered more than now.

"Our students, past and present, are our best ambassadors and we wanted to mark our 50^th year by showcasing them.

"I am delighted to announce that the winner is Pippa Crerar, someone who Dorothy Byrne says, ‘just goes’, and she certainly did with her amazing, important Partygate and Barnard Castle stories."

Dorothy Byrne, former Head of News and Current Affairs at Channel 4 Television, was the guest speaker of the evening.

As she celebrated a 50^th anniversary of her own – that of her starting her career in journalism – she reminded the audience of how far the sector has come in recent years in terms of its diversity.

“I do not believe in the myth of the golden past,” said Dorothy, “and I do not believe in the myth of the doomed future.”

On Pippa’s recognition, she added: “It’s such an honour to be giving this award to a real troublemaker.”

Receiving the award, Pippa Crerar said:

"City St George’s gave me such a great grounding in the career that followed.

Journalism is a bit like learning to drive; you don’t actually know how to do it until you’re on your own.

“Thanks to the University, I was never entirely alone because of the friends that I made on the course.

“Congratulations for the last 50 years, and thank you for the next 50.”

During her speech, she praised Barney Jones, Professor of International Journalism, and his highly popular Political Headlines module which connects students with Lobby journalists and high-profile politicians.

The event saw a mix of alumni, students and staff from across the years, with four members of the first cohort of journalism students from 1976 in attendance.

Multiple parent-and-child duos were present, having both studied journalism at City St George’s.

In its lifetime, the Department of Journalism has established itself as one of the UK's leading centres for journalism education, producing graduates who have gone on to influential roles across national and international news organisations.

The Golden Ambassador Award celebrates both individual excellence and the wider contribution City Journalism graduates have made to journalism over the last half century.

Nominees included reporters, editors, presenters, documentary makers, podcast pioneers, media entrepreneurs and campaigners working across the UK and internationally.

Throughout its history, the Department has produced graduates who have exposed wrongdoing, advanced media freedom, pioneered new storytelling formats and informed audiences around the world. The award recognises those values and the enduring importance of journalism in public life.