Local London journalists in line for Orwell Prizes
Hyperlocal site nominated for exposing social evils
A London-wide news website set up two years ago by a former Guardian journalist is in the running for two Orwell Prizes.
The shortlists for three of the annual prizes in memory of journalist and author George Orwell were published yesterday.
London Centric, launched in 2024 by former Guardian media editor Jim Waterson, is nominated in two categories - exposing social evils and reporting homelessness.
Also nominated in the homelessness category is News Associates journalism student Asha Birdi for a piece she wrote for the Ilford Recorder.
Sponsored by Prospect Magazine, the Orwell Prize for Exposing Britain’s Social Evils aims to encourage original, insightful and impactful reporting on social issues in the UK, including poverty, housing, education, disability, welfare and the impacts of government policy.
London Centric's nomination for the prize followed an investigation into social media platforms, written by Katherine Denkinson along with Jim and Polly Smythe.
Judges described it as "a fascinating look into the strange dynamics social media platforms give rise to, with fake stories gaining huge attention and worsening public trust – thoroughly investigated and novel."
The subscription-based site was also nominated for the Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness, for a piece written by Jim, Polly, Cormac Kehoe and Olivia Facey.
Judge Mel Young said: "London Centric’s entry was very well researched, the product of a great deal of work, but it was also extremely engaging: as a reader, you wanted to find out what was going on.
"It illustrated what is clearly a major problem in the rental sector, and how vulnerable people can be."
Asha's piece was published in both the Recorder and digital magazine SW Londoner.
Judge Ligia Teixeira said: "Street homelessness can sometimes feel like a familiar story, so it has been so refreshing to see young journalists like Asha engaging with really important issues like temporary accommodation and the experiences of people living in these difficult conditions."
Winners will be announced at the Prize Ceremony on 25 June 2026 at the Bloomsbury Theatre, University College London.
