Bournemouth University’s student journalists have secured a major national accolade after The Breaker, the university’s multimedia news platform, was named Best Newsday Website at the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC) awards in London.
The winning entry, chosen from thousands of submissions from journalism students across the UK, centred on a special edition titled “Living with AI”. The project examined the growing influence of artificial intelligence on modern life, investigating its impact on relationships, justice systems, and the ways charities and faith groups are adapting to new technologies.
Co‑editor Isabel Gallagher said the award marked a milestone for the team. She described the project as “a huge collective effort” and said stepping into a leadership role for the first time had been both challenging and transformative. “To have our work recognised on a national stage is something I never expected,” she said.
Team member Torquil Hopper highlighted the significance of reporting on such a rapidly evolving topic. He said the project offered a rare opportunity to explore the “new and sometimes unsettling world” shaped by AI, adding that the collaborative nature of the newsroom made the achievement especially meaningful.
This year’s win continues a strong run for The Breaker, which has now claimed BJTC honours in three of the past four years. Previous awards recognised the students’ coverage of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and their reporting on conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine last year.
Professor Chindu Sreedharan, who leads journalism innovation at BU, praised the students for producing work that reflects the values of the university’s journalism courses—rigorous, relevant, and rooted in public interest storytelling.
The award was presented by BBC News presenter Alice Bhandhukravi, with this year’s editorial team also including Tom Dinh, Hannah Clubley, and Karan Pratap Singh.