The Desmond Wettern Award

The Desmond Wettern Award for Best Journalism

The Award is made to the journalist whose writing, in the opinion of the Awards Committee, has made the most constructive contribution to generating public awareness of current maritime issues during the qualifying period.

Eligible work may take the form of journalism in newspapers, periodicals, or specialist or technical journals (whether such publications are published in print or digitally) or radio journalism, but not television journalism, which is covered separately by the Donald Gosling Award for Best Film or Television Contribution.

The Desmond Wettern Media Award

Judging criteria

Whether the work sustains an authoritative approach to promoting maritime awareness

Whether the work causes the significance of maritime events to be reported in different media

Whether the work contributes to a wider understanding of maritime issues, including political issues

The significance of issues chosen

The range and depth of analysis

The quality of assessments concerning the future

The originality of the work

Its impact on maritime policy, public awareness and individual commitment

Vice Admiral Jerry Kyd CBE presents Andy Read of Fishing News on behalf of the late David Linkie with the Desmond Wettern Media Award for Best Journalism 2021 at the Maritime Media Awards 2020 and 2021 as the Maritime Foundation returned to London’s Drapers’ Hall on Friday, 27 May 2022 at a reception and lunch attended by a diverse representation of the maritime community and the past two years of the book, film, digital media, and journalism award winners.

Recent Award Winners

2017 Miranda Johnson
2018 Christopher Cope
2019 Alistair Bunkall
2020 Alan Tovey
2021 David Linkie (1954-2021)

The award has been presented annually since 1995.

The prize is an engraved crystal decanter.

Please note: From 2022, prizes may differ due to changes to the Awards programme.