Channel 4 names UK's top young blogger

Channel 4 News has today named 17-year-old Louise Jones from Essex as the winner of its Young Blogger 2010 competition.

Launched to coincide with the redesign of the Channel 4 News website, the competition sought to find a blogger aged between 16 and 24, who could accurately reflect how news issues affect young people.

Jones's Teen:Dreaming blog was selected by a judging panel that included Channel 4 News presenters Jon Snow and Krishnan Guru-Murthy, as well as broadcaster Richard Bacon and The Guardian journalist Josh Halliday.

The judges were particularly impressed by her blog post on how 9/11 and subsequent events have affected her generation.

The 9/11 post is now live on the Channel 4 News site, which will also host a week of other posts from Jones, who first started blogging in 2009.

"Louise captured the world through a 17-year-old's eyes," said Snow, who will interview her on this evening's Channel 4 News programme.

"Her blog was funny, topical - but most importantly, it felt like her immediate reflections on the world around her - not an essay or a print article. I know she will be a brilliant addition to our site - and I look forward to asking her more tonight."

Halliday added; "Louise's blog is one that many teenagers can relate to. It had personality, wit - and it was news through the eyes of a 17-year-old. Very complementary to Channel 4 News' current site, I thought."