On the judging panel, our dilemma was: do you reward a struggling paper such as the "Independent" for a brilliant initiative, or plump for consistently excellent journalism?

Discusses the dilemma faced by the judges at the British Press Awards in 2004 regarding the types of journalism that should be rewarded. Competition between titles such as the 'Independent,' 'Mail on Sunday,' 'Daily Mirror,' and the 'Observer'; Debate over whether to reward consistent journalism or newspapers that have begun new initiatives for improvement; Consideration of the process of choosing successors for the political editors of newspapers; Praise for Ann Treneman, the parliamentary sketch-writer for the 'Sunday Times.'