The awards say that as the only global creative prize judged by the press, it is proud to announce that highly respected journalist Claire Atkinson — who has spent her career covering the global media business — will preside over the jury for 2024.
According to Epica, Atkinson writes an influential newsletter, called The Media Mix, and has been commissioned to write a biography of Rupert Murdoch by Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette.
Atkinson started out on trade titles, including Ad Age and Broadcasting & Cable, before moving to the New York Post, where she spent seven years on the media beat for the paper's business desk. She later joined NBC News, where she was senior media editor. More recently, she was chief media correspondent at Business Insider.
The awards add that Atkinson was raised in the United Kingdom, and moved to New York in 1999 as she considered it "the centre of the media".
"Journalism gives you a ringside seat to history," Atkinson says. "Plus, you get to interview some wild people that you'd normally never get to meet."
Atkinson adds that she loves media and advertising because "it's a ball that's constantly in motion".
"I'm fascinated by commercial messaging and the way companies speak to us, as well as how the people in power speak to media and how the media speak back," Atkinson says. "We're always looking for what's new, what's different. We spend our lives scouring the internet for stories, watching TV, reading the news. So I think we're hyper-aware of innovative ways of communicating … As far as I'm concerned, if my eyes are open, I'm working."
Marketers and journalists are on the same page, she adds.
"Like us, brands want to know where society is going because they need to be aware of the cultural trends that are going to influence how they sell things and where they're going to advertise. So I think a jury of journalists is highly appropriate for an advertising awards show," Atkinson says.
The Epica Awards conclude that it is open for entries until Friday, 11 October. An online ceremony will be held on Thursday, 12 December.
Individuals are encouraged to view further details on entries here.
For more information, visit www.epica-awards.com. You can also follow the Epica Awards on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, or on Instagram.
*Image courtesy of Facebook