Nominee Summary
Katharine Hay is the Rural Affairs Correspondent at the Scotsman. ‘Hay’s Way’ is the ongoing odyssey of the Scotsman’s rural affairs correspondent to document rural life across the country through the lens of a camera and the ink on the Scotsman’s column inches. Katherine Hay’s unique approach to rural journalism has enabled her to carve out a niche as the only reporter with a specific rural remit in any of Scotland’s national publications, shining a light on rural life from the perspective of the people who live and work in rural Scotland.
Walking the length and breadth of rural Scotland, Katharine Hay has been reporting from the road for over a year now, providing a unique insight into our rural life. With a platform as a rural affairs correspondent for the Scotsman, Katharine has embarked upon ‘Hay’s Way’, documenting the conversations and experiences she has whilst travelling across Scotland. In the context of the latest developments in rural affairs, Hay's way provides an antidote to the political bubble we often find ourselves being sucked into, reminding us that rural life goes on, regardless of what's happening in Holyrood or Westminster. Katharine Hay’s unique approach to rural journalism has enabled her to carve out a niche as the only reporter with a specific rural remit in any of Scotland’s national publications. There are obvious challenges to Katharine's approach to 'reporting from the field'. Discussing stories over the phone whilst sheltering in a community centre, trying to connect to dodgy rural wifi to send through copy for the next edition of the Scotsman summarises some of the key hurdles that had to be overcome. But without these authentic experiences, it would not have been possible to produce the stories Ms Hay has. For a predominantly urban audience, Katharine has led the way in bringing rural Scotland to life in Scotland's Press
