The Today programme presenter Mishal Husain (left in picture) has won the 2024 Charles Wheeler award for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcast Journalism. In front of a packed house at the Regent Street Cinema, London, Husain praised the influence of the late Charles Wheeler on generations of journalists.

But she warned that the role of the reporter was becoming harder: “The kind of work Charles Wheeler did, which relies on knowledge and experience and commitment, both personal and organisational, may be more elusive in an environment where the next generation often have little job security.”

Lindsey Hilsum (right in picture), international editor of Channel 4 News and a former winner of the award, joined a discussion with Husain and Steve Barnett, professor of journalism at the University of Westminster. She said she feared for the safety of reporters: “Every one of his rallies, Trump has a moment where he gets the crowd to jeer the journalists. That’s a frightening thing.” She paid tribute to local journalists working in Gaza, where international reporters are unable to gain access: “All those pictures you see every day. Those are shot by the most extraordinary, brave journalists.”

Husain joined the BBC in 1998, and since 2013 has been a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. The Charles Wheeler Award is a collaboration between British Journalism Review and the University of Westminster, supported by the Journalists’ Charity.