In the third of a new series of lockdown conversations across genres, styles and perspectives, John Harris, John Domokos and Darren McGarvey discuss how they went about creating their Orwell Prize shortlisted investigations. The winners of all four Orwell Prizes will be revealed via our online Prize Ceremony on Thursday 9th July 2020.

JOHN HARRIS & JOHN DOMOKOS (The Guardian)
Shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Journalism 2020

The judges said: "John Harris and John Domokos’ reporting told the story of Britain as it is, not as some imagine it to be. In their own words, they successfully refute ‘the snobbish idea that some people are beyond the pale, and things would be a lot better if they were returned to a state of voicelessness'.”

John Harris and John Domokos are the cocreators of The Guardian video series Anywhere But Westminster, which has been running for ten years, chronicling and foreshadowing many of the tumultuous political events of the decade. Their aim has always been to turn political coverage on its head, and root their journalism far beyond centres of power, in the experiences of people and places too often ignored.

DARREN McGARVEY
Shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Exposing Britain's Social Evils 2020 with Stephen Bennett and Harry Bell for 'Darren McGarvey’s Scotland' (Tern Television Productions LTD)

The judges said: “Forget any preconceptions you might have about gritty social documentaries that follow the same lazy (and often voyeuristic) format, Darren McGarvey’s Scotland takes a truly groundbreaking approach. Darren McGarvey’s journalism is brave, often informed by his own experiences, which not only makes for much richer content, but it also puts him on a level playing field with his interviewees. He has their trust, allowing people to be in control of their own storytelling. His poetic, eloquent and reflective broadcasting style arrests and engages the audience with its beauty and candour. Darren doesn’t shy away from the difficult questions, and often uses it as an opportunity to question his own assumptions and prejudices. Life is not black and white, and Darren McGarvey’s Scotland demonstrates the difference original and authentic TV storytelling can make to boosting public understanding of the causes of social harm in our society.”

In Darren McGarvey’s Scotland, the activist confronts the rampant rise of poverty and inequality that now affects one in five of us in the UK. Far from ‘poverty porn’, Darren pushes his audience into a far deeper understanding of the true impact of poverty. From drug deaths to domestic abuse, aspiration to crime, poor mental health to life expectancy and far more, this sixpart series meets those caught in the grip of poverty and those trying to inspire change. At the same time, Darren explores his own personal struggles, creating an authored series that was wellreceived by both audiences and critics alike. Darren McGarvey's 'Poverty Safari' won The Orwell Prize for Books in 2018.