tenacious
/ tɪˈneɪʃəs; tɪˈnæsɪtɪ /
adjective
holding or grasping firmly; forceful
retentive
stubborn or persistent
holding together firmly; tough or cohesive
tending to stick or adhere
That’s the dictionary definition of tenacious – we also hope these qualities will shine through in the new awards we’re announcing today with the charity Changing Ideas.
At the very heart of our mission at the Public Interest News Foundation is the belief that everyone in the UK should benefit from public interest news that speaks to them, for them and with them. The Tenacious Journalist Awards aim to stimulate and encourage the very best journalism to be created within the independent news sector.
The awards, worth £100,000 in total, have been made possible with generous funding from Changing Ideas, which was founded by David Graham. David’s passion is for backing individuals and organisations who can make a difference, but need resources to be able try things out, to take risks and achieve impact. He explains why he’s backing these awards:
‘Making these awards to journalists was a no-brainer as they get so little support.’
Charles Keidan, also of Changing Ideas, added:
‘Public interest journalism uncovers injustice and changes society for the better, yet it doesn’t get the support and funding it deserves. These awards aim to fill that gap and get more philanthropic support flowing into such journalism.’
That resonates well with PINF. Independent news providers and freelance journalists often fill gaps left by legacy media, giving a voice to under-represented groups, holding authorities accountable, and fact-checking political claims. These awards will recognize journalism that drives meaningful change at individual, community, or institutional levels and drive social change.
PINF’s Executive Director, Jonathan Heawood said:
‘We’re extremely grateful to David Graham and Changing Ideas for making such a significant investment in independent public interest news in the UK. We look forward to seeing what new journalism comes out of this.'
When, where, how and how much?
The prize winners will be awarded between £5,000 and £20,000 to produce a piece of journalism which makes the most impact, which makes the biggest difference. In addition, awardees will get eight months of coaching and mentoring to boost their journalism's impact, with results showcased at the 2025 Indie News Forum.
To be eligible for the award, applicants need to be an individual journalist or independent news organisation with a turnover below £500,000 and no commercial or political affiliations. You must be based in the UK and be focused primarily on public interest news – that is ethical and impartial journalism that informs and empowers the public.
The funding may be used to enable new journalism, complete an existing piece of investigative work or a combination of the two. Crucially, you must want to highlight a social issue and achieve change.
Expressions of interest will be accepted until 31 October. We will then invite around 20 applicants to complete a full application by the end of November. These finalists will be judged by an eminent panel of journalists and campaigners.
We want to stimulate public interest journalism which inspires change. We want to encourage tenacious journalists.
You can find out more about the awards and apply for the award here.
Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from PINF, and donate to support our work.
Comments