Essex News & Investigations

The UK's only news provider dedicated to hard news and investigative journalism.

Essex News & Investigations was set up by multi award-winning journalist Jon Austin following his departure from local newspapers in Essex after more than 12 years.

Essex News & Investigations is a personal website of Jon Austin and not connected to any other newspaper or media outlet that he may work for at any time. 

It is owned and edited by Jon Austin with any publications his responsibility.

Any complaints or issues with content on this website should be taken up by emailing jonaustinreporter@gmail.com.

After beginning a career in journalism at the free weekly Yellow Advertiser series in Essex and east London from 2002, he moved to the daily Echo paper once a senior reporter.

He covered Basildon, Southend, Castle Point and Thurrock, and when he left in March 2015, he had been the political and investigations reporter for nearly eight years.

Jon started winning journalism awards while a student and went on to become once of the most decorated regional reporters in the country, winning the Essex Journalist of the Year in 2004 while still at the Yellow Advertiser.

Between 2006 and 2012 he won the Best Reporter on a Daily Paper in the East of England seven years running and from 2007 to 2009 he was Press Gazette Best Daily Reporter out of the whole country three years running.

A shortlisting in the Paul Foot Award for Campaigning & Investigative Journalism against national journalists in 2011 was another career high. 

Jon is now a reporter for the national press, but this site is to allow the continued coverage of ongoing issues he delved into across the county and to remain close to contacts built up over several years, as well as breaking new reports.

Essex News & Investigations will also look at regional news from across the UK and national and global issues. 

Got a tip off? Email jonaustinreporter@gmail.com.