A senior reporter on The Docklands & East London Advertiser has scooped London Citizen UK’s Journalist of the Year award—at a time when the national media is under scrutiny by the Leveson Inquiry.

Mike Brooke is the first local journalist to take the title in its six-year history which has always gone to a national media figure.

Previous winners include BBC Newsnight’s Paul Mason, The Guardian’s Polly Toynbee and The Independent’s Amol Rajan.

He was up against Heather Stewart from The Guardian and The Observer and Chinese journalist Shiao Hung.

“Elements of the press have come in for criticism in the inquiry for alleged ‘intrusive’ journalism,” said Mike.

“But we’ve shown in the East End the importance of community contact and getting out on the street to be involved with our readers and their concerns.

“Our role as journalists has to be to help rebuild civic society, such as backing things like a Living Wage and recording the community’s daily life.”

The citation announced by London Citizen’s chairman Paul O’Shea at City Hall reads: “This person is rare in their field and deserves to be recognised for a 40-year career in local journalism. He has reported local issues and been an active friend and ally, supporting our work and covering the stories that matter to local people.”

A special London Citizen UK presentation also went to MP Tessa Jowell, who received the ‘Founders’ award for her “positive commitment to East London” in securing the 2012 Olympics when she was Sport & Culture Minister.

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You can email your community story in the East End to Mike Brooke: mike.brooke@archant.co.uk