A talented young sports writer with a “work ethic that would put a honeybee to shame” is the winner of De Montfort University’s Outstanding Journalism Student prize for 2024.
Alice Wright, whose has already had stories published by a national newspaper, was the unanimous pick for the award by staff at the Journalism department of DMU in Leicester.
It’s another notch in the CV for Alice, whose nose for a story earned her back-to-back nominations for the Football Writers’ Association Student Football Writer of the Year and a place on the shortlist for the Midlands Student Media Awards.
Despite juggling her studies and the demands of a part-time job, up-and-coming football journalist Alice made regular trips to London for work experience shifts in the sports department of the Mail on Sunday, twice landing bylined match reports in the paper.
Alice, 21, who graduates from DMU next month, also found time to act as editor and reporter for the Leicester City Women’s Supporters Club, to write for the Foxes of Leicester website, and to volunteer for Leicester City in the Community, contributing a series of articles for the matchday programme of the club she supports. In addition, she acted as the sports editor at the Demon magazine.
“I am so proud to have been chosen as the recipient of the Outstanding Journalism Student award for 2024,” said Alice, of Ravenstone, Leicestershire.
“I have really enjoyed my three years studying at DMU and I grasped every opportunity I was given to help set me up for my future career in journalism.
“A massive thank you to my lecturers – Jeremy Clay, Lee Marlow and Brian Dodds – for always pushing me and believing in me. I couldn’t have done it without their unwavering support.”
DMU Journalism lecturer Jeremy Clay said: “Alice was a model student: hungry to learn, determined to sharpen her skills and hellbent on breaking into the industry.
“She has a work ethic that would put a honeybee to shame. If we could bottle her spirit, we’d happily hand it out to the next generation of journalism students at freshers’ week.
“Remember her name: we strongly suspect you’ll be reading it again and again.”
