This Sunderland graduate is taking the world of journalism by storm

Published on 22, November, 2024

A graduate from the University of Sunderland has been named a rising star by a national journalism award.

Daniel Hordon, who studied Journalism at the University, has been named as one of the winners of the Press 30 Under 30 awards that spotlights the talent of young journalists around the UK.

After graduating, Daniel secured a role at the Northern Echo and has since gone on to become a senior reporter at the paper.

Daniel said: “It’s an honour to be included on the Press 30 Under 30 list alongside some incredible young journalists from across the industry, especially as one of three members of the local/regional press on the list.

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“It’s a great feeling to receive recognition for the hard work you put in day to day and know that your reporting is making a difference.”

Since starting at the Northern Echo, Daniel has broken major stories including his coverage of the RAAC crisis as well as earning a nomination for scoop of the year at the Regional Press awards.

Daniel also won this year’s National Council for the Training of Journalists’ (NCTJ) Practical Journalism Skills Award after excelling in his National Qualification in Journalism exams.

Daniel said: “I’ve covered so many different stories in the almost two-and-a-half years since I joined the Echo, for me one of the best parts of the jobs is the variation and that you never know what each day will entail.

“You never stop getting a buzz from seeing your story on the front page when you walk past the newsstand in the shops, but for me I get a real buzz from helping families who need their local paper to stand up for them.

“Not long after I started, I exposed the story of a family who discovered their dad had been buried in the wrong grave for 17-years, and had the issue raised in parliament and campaigned for a church inquiry.

“Receiving a thank you from the family for the work I had done helping them was a really proud moment. The Echo has a long campaigning history, and getting to carry that on is a great part of my role.”

Daniel learnt many of the skills he uses in his career at the University which gave him a head start as a journalist, including gaining the NCTJ diploma as part of his studies.

Daniel said: “I wouldn’t have been able to get my job at the Echo without the training I received at the University of Sunderland.

“The NCTJ diploma is essential to getting a job in journalism and gives you the foundations you need to get started in the newsroom.

“The lecturers were all so supportive during my time at the University, and I still think back to my media law lectures on an almost daily basis when I need to tackle a legal dilemma with a story.”

Neil Macfarlane, BA Journalism Programme Leader at the University, said: “We’re so proud that Daniel has won this award. He’s a brilliant young journalist, and we’ve always known this.

“We pride ourselves on producing graduates who are fully trained to thrive as journalists in a very competitive industry.

“It’s great to see him using the skills learned at Sunderland to make a real mark so early in his career. He’s already well on course to match the achievements of our many graduates at work today across local, national and international media.”

If you are interested in studying Journalism and PR at the University of Sunderland, find out more here.

You can also check out what it’s like to study at the University of Sunderland at one of our open days. Book your place here.