Joy Coker, founder of the Black British Journalism Awards and editor of Alt A Review, has resigned from the judging panel of the Press Gazette British Journalism Awards 2026 in protest at the shortlisting of a journalist who investigated the late Cambridge academic Jason Arday.
The shortlisting of Times Higher Education reporter Jack Grove, who investigated allegations of plagiarism in the late Cambridge academic Jason Arday’s PhD thesis, has reignited criticism of the media’s coverage of Arday in the months before his death. Writing in The Voice, journalist Richard Sudan described the coverage as a “media lynching”, arguing that it was inhumane and unjustified even if the allegations had been true. He said the plagiarism claims against Arday had been found unsubstantiated on four separate occasions, yet only a handful of outlets reported that outcome. Sudan argued that the treatment of Arday reflected wider anti-Black racism in the mainstream press, and described the decision to shortlist a journalist involved in the coverage as either “bad taste” or “cynical opportunism”.
In a statement reported by The Voice, Coker said she had only judged the Arts and Culture category and had no involvement in Grove’s nomination. She said, however, that staying on the panel would be “deeply contradictory” given her role leading the Black British Journalism Awards 2027, and that she could not remain part of a decision that went against her values. Coker added that she had asked to be removed from materials associated with the awards and described the decision as a personal one reflecting her commitment to racial equality.
Grove responded on X that he was pleased to have been shortlisted, describing the story as difficult and polarising with a tragic outcome, and arguing that it was an important public interest investigation. Times Higher Education has said Grove was examining matters of “significant public interest” and that his enquiries were handled sensitively and appropriately.
The shortlisting has prompted debate across social media, with some commentators and campaigners describing it as insensitive to the Black community. It remains unclear whether the nomination will stand, and Press Gazette has not yet publicly responded to Coker’s resignation.
For Independent Media Association members, the row raises wider questions about how the industry recognises contested public interest journalism, and about the representation of Black journalists and communities within the UK’s major awards.
To read The Voice’s full report on Joy Coker’s resignation, click here.