Journalists and academics Brian Cathcart and Ian Hargreaves explain why they awarded the Orwell prize for journalism to Amelia Gentleman

You may have noticed that two of six shortlisted are from the Guardian. I would like to say something about this newspaper before coming to the subject of who has won this year's Orwell prize for journalism.

The story of the Manchester Guardian and the Guardian is one of big commitments held to over time.

Comment is free, facts are sacred.

A liberal/left political line, sometimes infuriatingly one-dimensional, but patient, consistent and always itself.

A paper that sticks with its editors: CP Scott did 57 years; Alastair Hetherington 19, Peter Preston 20, Alan Rusbridger, 17 not out.

Alan declared his "epiphany" with regard to the internet early in his tenure. He has since been encouraged by his board and the Scott Trustees to pursue this vision of digital first, with the result that the Guardian is now a global force in journalism, a contender for number one English language newspaper in the world. Arguably, Manchester's greatest ever export. Even taking into account Oasis, the Smiths and a couple of football clubs.

In the last year, these virtues of patience and moral determination have been rewarded. The newspaper's role in uncovering the phone-hacking scandal needs no amplification. Where the PCC, the Metropolitan police, ministers and parliament fell short, the Guardian stayed the distance.

Brian has already mentioned the summer riots coverage: from the first tweet to the rich explanatory follow-through based upon high quality academic research. The paper's data journalism, its role in WikiLeaks … these are mighty achievements.

But when we got down to the wire in awarding this most treasured prize, we felt that we should honour a quality which is written even more deeply into the Guardian's DNA than the internet: its attention to life way beyond the London media world, life in young offender institutions or on disability benefit, what it's like to be a doctor checking whether the benefit holder's walking stick is showing plausible signs of wear, and whether that is on a side consistent with the alleged source of the disability.

This is the hardest sort of journalism. Proprietors mostly say it doesn't sell newspapers. Let's be honest, even the people in this room don't always turn first to 3,000-word pieces on subjects of this kind. But it matters. Sound reporting is journalism's source of moral authority and true political impact. Orwell understood that. For supporting it and for its other achievements, we pay tribute to the Guardian.

For executing it, with the coolest of eyes and the most precise reporting skills, we award this year's Orwell prize for journalism to Amelia Gentleman.