Ireland’s leading national & regional journalists shortlisted for awards in 13 categories including National Journalist of the Year
National Newspapers of Ireland (NNI) has unveiled a shortlist of 48 contenders ahead of the 2011 NNI Journalism Awards – the first of their kind – which take place in Dublin next Thursday (27 October).
Awards will be presented in 13 categories including Feature Writer of the Year, Critic of the Year, Best Design & Presentation, Newspapers in Education (NiE), Regional Journalist of the Year and Scoop of the Year, with the highlight of the awards expected to be the announcement of National Journalist of the Year.
There will also be a special award presented in recognition of ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Newspaper Industry’.
Announcing the shortlist, the Chairman of the NNI judging paneI, Mr Michael Brophy, said the standard of entry reflected newspapers’ commitment to, and investment in, top quality journalism.
Quality, depth and breadth of entries
“The judging panel was hugely impressed, not just by the quality but also the depth and breadth of entries submitted,” Mr Brophy said.
“It brought home that newspaper journalism is not just about ‘the news’ – it’s about investigative reporting, comment and analysis, specialist writing on a diverse range of topics,” Mr Brophy went on. “Newspapers invest more in journalism than any other medium and these Awards are a validation of that investment; when it comes to outstanding writing and reporting, no other medium can even come close.”
“Industry founded on great journalism”
The Chairman of NNI, Mr Paul Cooke, meanwhile, said the Awards were an opportunity for the Irish newspaper industry to put aside competitive differences for a day and stand together in celebration of great journalism.
“Unveiling the shortlist today really brings the Awards to life, it makes it all very real and I think it’s going to be a momentous day for the Irish newspaper industry,” said Mr Cooke.
“Our industry was founded on great journalism; it is the main reason that almost 3 million Irish people seek out and buy their favourite newspaper,” Mr Cooke said. “Next Thursday is an opportunity for all our newspaper titles to forget about the commercial side of the business for a day and say ‘this is what we’re about, this is what makes us unique’”.
Simon Kelner confirmed as guest speaker
Guest of honour at next week’s NNI Journalism Awards will be the Minister for Communications, Pat Rabbitte, while Simon Kelner, former editor of the London Independent and one of the most influential newspaper editors of the past decade, has been confirmed as guest speaker.
Kelner, who was twice voted the UK’s ‘Editor of the Year’ while at the Independent, is widely credited with a number of ground-breaking innovations including turning the newspaper from a broadsheet to a compact format (a move since copied by 55 newspapers around the world) and introducing poster-style front pages that coined the term ‘viewspaper’.
“It’s a great honour to have someone of Simon Kelner’s standing as our guest speaker and I know he has generated a huge amount of interest in the Awards,” said Paul Cooke. “We also have the cream of Ireland’s ‘fourth estate’ on hand so it should be a fantastic day.”
For further information: Ann Marie Lenihan Tel: 01 668 9099 / 086 816 2764, Email: amlenihan@cullencommunications.ie
www.newsbrandsireland.ie/journalismawards
NNI Journalism Awards 2011 – Shortlist
NNI National Journalist of the Year
Noel Baker, Irish Examiner
Simon Carswell, The Irish Times
Irish Independent Wikileaks Team, Irish Independent
Michael O’Farrell, Irish Mail on Sunday
Jason O’Toole, Irish Daily Mail
Mary Raftery, The Irish Times
NNI Regional Journalist of the Year
Colette Browne, Wexford Echo
Alison Comyn, Drogheda Independent
Kieran Dineen, Evening Echo
Maria Pepper, Wexford People
NNI Feature Writer of the Year
Rosita Boland, The Irish Times
David Diebold, Evening Herald
Patrice Harrington, Irish Daily Mail
Donal MacIntyre, Sunday World
Justine McCarthy, The Sunday Times
Kathy Sheridan, The Irish Times
NNI Columnist/Commentator of the Year
Martina Devlin, Irish Independent
Paul Drury, Irish Daily Mail
Paul Howard, The Irish Times
Declan Lynch, Sunday Independent
NNI Critic of the Year
Eileen Battersby, The Irish Times
Peter Crawley, The Irish Times
Liam Fay, The Sunday Times
Patrick Freyne, Evening Herald / Sunday Tribune
NNI ‘Scoop’ of the Year
Jim Gallagher, Sunday World (English Mansion)
Rachel Kane, Irish Daily Star (Kangaroo)
Senan Molony, Irish Daily Mail (Healey Rae)
Nicola Tallant, Sunday World (Muppets)
NNI Young Journalist of the Year
Fiach Kelly, Irish Independent
Niall O’Connor, Evening Herald
Eithne Shortall, The Sunday Times
Orla Tinsley, The Irish Times
NNI Political Journalist of the Year
Niamh Connolly, The Sunday Business Post
Shaun Connolly, Irish Examiner
Miriam Lord, The Irish Times
Anne Marie Walsh, Irish Independent
NNI Business & Economics Journalist of the Year
Kathleen Barrington, The Sunday Business Post
Richard Curran, The Sunday Business Post
Tom Lyons/Brian Carey, The Sunday Times
Dan White, Evening Herald
NNI Sports Journalist of the Year
Miguel Delaney, Sunday Tribune
Neil Francis, Evening Herald
Kieran Shannon, Irish Examiner / Sunday Tribune
Eamonn Sweeney, Sunday Independent
NNI Showbiz Story of the Year
Samuel Hamilton, Irish Daily Mirror
Eugene Masterson, Sunday World
Gary Meneely, Irish Sun
Jennifer O’Brien, Irish Sun
