Chris Abbott

Dr Chris Abbott is a member of the Centre for Public Policy Research and senior lecturer and researcher in the Department of Education and Professional Studies at King's College London, where he is also Director of the Modular MA. He specialises in ICT, literacy and special educational needs and has led several research projects dealing with communication through symbols and the use of the Internet for inclusion. His most recent books include ICT: Changing Education (RoutledgeFalmer 2000) and The Internet and SEN: Issues for the Inclusive Classroom (RoutledgeFalmer 2002).

Jan Hodge

Jan Hodge was a participant in www.ninelives.tv, the "Overall Merit" winner of the New Media Awards 2002. Nivelives is run by Brighton and Hove Council, where Jan lives, and aimed to promote sustainable lifestyles. The campaign enabled Jan to change several aspects of her life including a decreased use of her car, increased exercise and increased awareness of energy conservation in the home.

Jan has enjoyed a varied career. She has not only worked as a model and model agent but has also worked in the finance industry, and for a number of years was involved with the web designers, now digital risk specialists, www.mi2g.com. Jan now writes full time.

John Kampfner

John Kampfner has been Political Editor of the NS since June 2002. His journalistic career has taken him from Reuters to the Daily Telegraph, where as Berlin and then Moscow Correspondent he covered the fall of the wall and the collapse of Communism. On his return to the UK he became Chief Political Correspondent of the FT, before moving to the BBC where he was political commentator for the Today programme.

He has made several television and radio documentaries, including a two-parter on Israel and the Palestinians which won two awards at the Foreign Press Association. He is currently writing his third book.

Spencer Neal

Spencer Neal, publisher of the New Statesman has managed Britain's premier current-affairs weekly since May 1997. He has been responsible for for many of the publication's partnerships and is especially interested in opportunities that challenge social exclusion. Spencer lives in Hackney, north London with his partner and their two young children.

Shireen Shuster

Shireen is the author of www.spellzone.com, an online spelling course for older students and adults. She taught primary school classes for 15 years but gradually gained an interest in children with literacy difficulties and then specialised in this area.

Shireen has been head of a special needs department in a large primary school and acting headteacher of a school for children with psychiatric problems. She then worked for an LEA advisory service, assessing children with learning problems, devising work programmes for them, organising individual tuition and training teachers in several aspects of special needs and in the national tests. Her work has given her experience with students, schools and colleges over the full age range from reception class to higher education. Shireen now tutors dyslexic students and writes materials on spelling for both mainstream classes and special education.

David Tait

David is currently responsible for SchlumbergerSema's Sales & Marketing activities within the UK, Netherlands and Ireland; managing a £500Million business. Prior to this David ran the SchlumbergerSema's Public Sector business for the UK.

David began his career in ICI, where his first job was research and development into mathematical modelling of chemical plants where he spent eight years working on the IT, engineering, production and commercial aspects of the company’s catalyst business. From ICI he took up a position with IBM's Engineering Scientific and Industrial Centre to work as an industry specialist. A later move into account management with IBM brought experience in the automotive sector, notably with Jaguar and Peugeot.

In 1991, David joined Sema Group, where he has worked in a variety of roles across all aspects of Sema Groups consulting, Systems Integration and Outsourcing businesses at progressively more senior levels within all sectors.

David is 46 years old, is married with two sons. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Heriot-Watt University in his hometown of Edinburgh and is a Chartered Engineer.

Amy Vickers

Amy Vickers has been involved in the internet since 1995, primarily working as a journalist, but also putting in stints as a research analyst and a website editor. She currently writes a daily internet and technology column in the Daily Mirror, called Amy's i. This is the only national daily column of its kind that taps into a mass market consumer internet audience.

Previously, Amy has been new media editor of the Guardian, a new media columnist for the Independent, new media editor of Media Week and news editor of New Media Age. During the dotcom heyday, Amy launched and edited new media gossip and news website, The-Bullet.com.

Spam with everything

The US is drowning in spam, writes Andrew Stephen

Nominations opened
11 December 2002

Nominations closed
30 May 2003

Shortlisting
2 - 6 June 2003

Final judges meeting
16 June 2003

Award ceremony
16 July 2003