Joe Casey: Journalism Hero of 2011

Fleet Street Blues, insider journalism site, celebrates 2011’s heroes of the press.

BBC reporter Joe Casey tops the list, as his coverage of tsunamis, revolutions, recessions and Royal Weddings informed and educated a nation. He also worked undercover to expose the abuse at the Winterbourne View care home for Panorama. His reports are effective, conclusive, shocking, and genuinely in the public interest. He promotes brave and intelligent reporting - and a reminder of why the world needs top quality investigative journalism.

Second place sees Sky News reporter Mark Stone, memorably dubbed by the Daily Telegraph as a 'chiselled god of news', as he reported from the riot-torn streets of Clapham in the summer. The site calls his style “unrivalled, ballsy, on-the-spot reporting.”

Arab Spring bloggers and tweeters are lauded in third place, followed by Political editor at the time of the News of the World’s closure, David Wooding. As one admiring colleague put it: 'He did an excellent job getting the message across that more than 200 innocent, untainted people had paid a hefty price for a crime they did not commit'. Colin Myler - the News of the World editor also came in for praise in leading his team through the 'deeply surreal final three days with consummate class and dignity'.

Finally, Brian Whelan, newspaper reporter-turned-editor for Yahoo!, and a contributor to FleetStreetBlues, whose readable blog offers a mix of links to his own journalism and wider insights - his pictures and video of the final hours of the News of the World captured from inside the newsroom were gripping.