It is now just over 15 months since the first magazine was published and in that time ecoJersey has made significant steps towards achieving many of the goals that fuelled its creation.
It was conceived as a response to an explosion of interest in, and engagement with, environmental issues, and launch editor Charles Troy saw an opportunity to use the reach and influence of the JEP to bring many disparate groups together to achieve positive change.
The Regional Press Awards celebrate excellence in the local and regional newspapers. For the past two years, the JEP has been a shortlisted finalist in the Newspaper of the Year category. This year, deputy editor Richard Heath was also shortlisted in the feature writer/long-from journalism category.
The JEP’s statement supporting the ecoJersey entry said: ‘We felt it was important to take our coverage of environmental issues further and deeper. With the JEP already “at the heart of Island life”, it seemed obvious that we should now put ourselves at the heart of the most important challenge facing our own generation, and of many to come.
‘Putting a special focus on matters eco, we soon discovered that while there were many committed activist groups and individuals, experts within the civil service and businesses committed to greater sustainability, there was little communication or collaboration.
‘As the Island’s primary media voice, reaching a greater proportion of Islanders than ever across print, digital and social-media channels, we set out with a clear aim – to engage, to inform and to encourage action.’
In addition to launching the magazine and publishing a series of environmental exclusives in the newspaper during 2019, the JEP also organised two mass-participation community events, Cleaning our Coast and Countryside, and recognised the achievements of many Island environmentalists in the Environmental Champion of the Year category of the annual Pride of Jersey Awards.
The judges said of ecoJersey: ‘An imaginative, original concept, brought to fruition in style by identifying a new audience… while at the same time creating an important voice for the community in the battle to protect the environment.’
JEP editor Andy Sibcy said: ‘To have our work recognised across the three categories is a huge achievement in such important national industry awards, which celebrate excellence in the regional press.
‘The icing on the cake was obviously winning the Magazine of the Year category. I would like to congratulate and thank all members of the JEP team who contributed to its success, from ecoJersey launch editor Charles Troy and current editor Emily Moore to members of the creative, editorial and advertising teams. It has been a superb team effort.
‘I would also like to thank the many businesses, charities, NGOs, activists and other members of the community who contribute in a host of ways and who are all essential to the ongoing success of the collaborative ecoJersey magazine and allied initiatives. To be able to bring so many people together to promote such a positive and worthwhile cause is one of the great privileges of working for the JEP.’
