Jasmine Owens, a freelance investigative journalist, has been awarded the full £15,000 fellowship. Her investigation will focus on a critical problem within UK prison healthcare, which evidence suggests is contributing to avoidable deaths. Owens stated, “Without this fellowship, I wouldn’t be able to spend more than the odd hour now and then on this investigation, as I’ve been doing for over a year now. Thanks to Oxford Brookes’ support, I’ll have time to thoroughly dig into causes, where responsibility lies, and solutions, crucial for any investigation that hopes to have an impact.”
Katie Dancey-Downs was named runner-up and will receive £3,000 towards her investigation into censorship in UK school libraries. She commented, “As a freelance journalist, putting time and care into a long-term investigation is almost impossible without support, and so I’m incredibly grateful to the OICPJ for offering me this fellowship. Beyond the financial support and opportunity to tap into the team’s experience, it’s a real boost to know that so many bright minds see the value of my investigation.”
The recipients were selected from a shortlist and longlist by a panel including Alexandra Shakespeare, Director of OICPJ; Polly Silk, MA Publishing Media Course Coordinator; Jonathan Glasspool, former Managing Director of Glasspool and Chair of the OICPJ Publishing Advisory Board; and Hazel Healy, UK Editor of DeSmog and a founding member of the OICPJ Journalism Advisory Board.
Commenting on Owens' investigation, Hazel Healy noted, “Evidencing access to revelatory data and compelling case studies, plus a clear plan for further feasible rigorous research, Jasmine’s investigation will surface an original angle on prison neglect that will hold clear contemporary resonance for the UK public, particularly in light of the Government’s early prison release scheme.” Alexandra Shakespeare added, “We were impressed by the quality of all of the applicants for this new fellowship. It was almost impossible to pick the winners and we are excited to see the impact of Jasmine and Katie’s investigations once they are completed.”
The fellowship is part of the legacy of the late David McClure, a news producer, author, and journalist who investigated institutional privilege and died from cancer in 2022. The fellowship aims to support public interest journalism that might otherwise go unpublished due to a lack of funding. The next round of funding is open for applications until May 2027.
