Want to be an F1 journo?

Motorsport writing competition to be won

By PH Staff / Monday, 30 January 2006 / Loading comments

2005 winner looks tyred

Fancy becoming a motorsport reporter? With the opening round of the 2006 F1 world championship in under six weeks, tyre maker Bridgestone, which looks likely to be F1's sole tyre supplier next year, has announced its 2006 e-reporter initiative. It's a pan-European competition to nurture the next generation of young journalists.

Writing it up

Now in its third year, Bridgestone e-reporter has introduced further elements to the competition designed to build the experience for participants and to increase the credibility of their work.

Eight finalists will be invited to attend a European Grand Prix to report on the GP2 Series, where they will meet and interview the drivers and also the key personalities who are responsible for making the Championship such a phenomenal stepping-stone into Formula One for young drivers. Finalists will have the chance to soak up the atmosphere in the F1 paddock and work alongside the international media pack.

Winner's prize

The overall winner will then report on two events, one within Europe and one further afield, being awarded a state-of-the-art laptop and work experience with UK motorsport newspaper Motorsport News. In addition, the winner will feature as presenter of a Bridgestone Journal – a television bulletin covering Bridgestone’s main community programmes including e-reporter, Dreams at Heart and Safety at Heart.

What to do next

Entries should be submitted online (see link below) and will be judged by a panel of international media representatives consisting of F1 broadcaster Tony Jardine, Motorsport news editor Jim Holder, Motorsport writer Jeremy Hart, Bridgestone Motorsport Press Officer Rachel Ingham, and GP2 Series Media Manager Will Buxton.

The judges will be assessing entrants on their key writing skills and ability to conduct appropriate background research on the subject area, along with creativity and an appreciation for the target audience.

Investing in the future of aspiring young reporters, Bridgestone e-reporter is a competition open to all students aged 18-30, across Europe, who are in full time education. Finalists’ race reports and diary entries will be featured on the Bridgestone Europe and GP2 websites.

The closing date for entries is 12:00 GMT on Friday 31 March 2006.

Comment

The 2005 competition winner Mike Channell now works for UK computing magazine PC Format. He said: "Bridgestone e-reporter is an amazing opportunity for a young writer who wants to break into the competitive world of journalism, and going behind the scenes at a Grand Prix is the most fantastic experience for any motorsport fan.

"I worked hard on my entry in February 2005 but never expected the rewards that came from Bridgestone. Attending the Monza F1 and GP2 races, travelling to Japan to further experience how Bridgestone fulfils its mission to serve society with superior quality, having my writing published on a global website and being given a laptop to take home was a phenomenal prize."

Tony Jardine said: “Bridgestone e-reporter is a once in a lifetime opportunity for students hoping to pursue a career in journalism. In 2005 we were delighted at the amount of entries we received from students representing countries such as the UK, France, Italy, Poland, Belgium and Finland. Our seven finalists were outstanding last year with the overall winner Mike Channell from the UK going on to work for PC Format Magazine, and Dorian Patynowski taking on the Chief Racing Editor’s role at TopSpeed Magazine in Poland.

"It’s a great prize on offer, which will help young reporters to stand out from the crowd and get noticed in the world of motorsport - which is so notoriously hard to do. The key success of the e-reporter campaign has been the chance for budding journalists to talk about e-reporter in job interviews."