These are the judges comments from last night’s Coca Cola CIPR Press and Broadcasy Awards. Congratulations to everyone named. We had a great night and it was an honour to be able to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to the legendary Malcolm Brodie.
COMMENTS FROM JUDGES
1 COCA-COLA CIPR MARTIN O’HAGAN MEMORIAL BURSARY/NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Overall winner + Print Newcomer: Chrissie Russell, Belfast Telegraph
Chrissie has the ability and confidence to handle a wide range of subjects with sympathy, maturity and humour. She is a talented young journalist who can touch the hearts of readers with some stories and make them smile with others.
Broadcast Newcomer: Barry Weir, Citybeat
Barry handles the pressure of a busy news agenda to produce compelling content.
2 BUSINESS JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Overall winner + Print Business Journalist: James Stinson, Irish News
In a strong field, James Stinson’s entry shone brightest for the quality of his exclusives, the sharpness of his analysis and the fluency of his writing. In the end, readers and viewers want to learn something they did not know and have the significance clearly explained: all three of James’s exclusives met those criteria and could have found a place in any media outlet in the country.
This entry comprised three scoops that any business journalist would be proud to file – and all about issues that revealed interesting aspects of doing business in Northern Ireland. Each was well-written and developed clearly to reveal the wider significance of the story with authority.
Broadcast business journalist: Yvette Shapiro, BBC NI
A confident performer on top of her subject material, yet able to communicate business issues visually in an accessible way. Her three entries all reflected business consequences of the peace dividend in a manner that was both compelling and enlightening.
3 COCA-COLA CIPR NEWS JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR (DAILIES, SUNDAYS)
Overall winner + Print News Journalist (Sundays):Martin Breen, News of the World (now Sunday Life)
In a vintage year of great exclusives the winner was a shinning star in the especially tough Northern Ireland Sunday market place.
News Journalist of the Year (Dailies): David Gordon, Belfast Telegraph
Any one of the galaxy of entries from the Belfast Telegraph could have made the shortlist in a hugely competitive and massively impressive category. The winner did what journalists are supposed to do - annoy the establishment. The criticism he earned from politicians is rightly matched by the applause of his colleagues for a job well done.
Highly commended
Jill Beaty, Daily Mirror and William Allen, Belfast Telegraph
4 COCA-COLA CIPR SPECIALIST JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Overall winner + winner of specialist journalist (print media) Paula Mackin, Sunday World
In the great tradition of campaigning journalists, Paula Mackin goes after some of the most dangerous in society, giving voice to those who would be otherwise too scared to speak up. Her exposés of criminal drug gangs in Belfast are everything great stories should be.
This is a reporter full of guts. Her tenacious pursuit of the worst in society is matched by her empathy with the victims and their families. This is journalism with a purpose, getting its hands dirty to expose wrongs without fear.
Broadcast Specialist Journalist of the Year: Dot Kirby, BBC NI
Dot Kirby’s investigations into the health service have hard-working journalism at their core. Her exposure of the scandal at Muckamore Abbey hospital, where some patients with learning difficulties were trapped there even though their treatment had finished, was powerful, moving and gave voice to some of the most vulnerable in society. A worthy winner.
5 COCA-COLA CIPR NEWS/CURRENT AFFAIRS BROADCASTER OF THE YEAR
Overall winner + radio news/current affairs broadcaster: Stephen Nolan, BBC
Stephen Nolan handles a range of issues with aplomb. He holds the guilty to account, exposes hypocrisy and gives the vunerable and victimized a voice.
Superbly produced, Stephen Nolan is full-on, aggressive and unrelenting….a refreshing antidote to the culture of comfort-zone journalism, in a era of spin.
TV News/current affairs broadcaster: Kevin Magee, BBC NI
Kevin Magee’s forensic approach goes to the heart of the matter. His topics are unfailingly significant. His stories garnished with appealing production.
6 COCA-COLA CIPR SPORTS JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Overall winner + Broadcast Sports Journalist of the Year: Denise Watson, BBC
Interview with Oisin McConville a truly powerful piece of exclusive journalism; interview with ‘bad boy’ Mickey Collins brilliantly opportunistic, interesting and penetrating; piece with rally driver Marcus Gronholm offbeat and of the like I’ve never seen before in this field.
This entry, particularly the McConville piece on a GAA star with a gambling addiction, is outstanding. Denise Watson clearly has the ability to empathise with her interviewees, help them relax and pour out their thoughts, all of which are edited in sympathetic style. The stories are about the subject, with the interviewer taking a secondary role.
Print Sports Journalist of the Year: Jim Gracey, Sunday Life
Topped, by a narrow margin, a shortlist of four excellent entries. All three of Gracey’s pieces informed, thought-provoking, keenly argued and, above all, a cracking good read.
7 COCA-COLA CIPR WEEKLY NEWSPAPER JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Winner: Mark McKelvey, Ulster Herald
In a strong field, the winner did what all good weekly newspaper journalists do – he found an important and fascinating human story which spoke to the paper’s community; he told that story; and then he built a campaign around it in which all could participate. He handled it with sensitivity but passion, and helped make the life of one boy, and that of his parents, so much better. And you know that Mark did all this, not because it was a great story, but for the family involved, and because the community cares.
For campaigning on behalf of terminally ill Omagh toddler Billy Caldwell, the winner of weekly newspaper journalist of the year is Mark McKelvey of the Ulster Herald.
8 COCA-COLA CIPR FEATURE JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Overall winner + Print Feature Journalist of the Year: David McKittrick, The Independent
David McKittrick is an exceptional writer. His excellent pieces on the post-Troubles agenda are insightful and superbly put together.
Broadcast Feature Journalist of the Year: Chris Page, BBC NI
Chris’s reporting captures you in the first minute, inviting you to continue listening to his stories which are pitched at just the right level. His reports tell us something new about issues we have a general understanding of. He uses the medium of radio to maximum effect, mixing voice and ambient sound superbly and his deft touch enables his subjects to tell the story in a captivating way.
9 COCA-COLA CIPR MAGAZINE/SUPPLEMENT OF THE YEAR
Overall winner + Supplement of the Year 24/7, Belfast Telegraph
24/7 is the overall winner because of for its vigorous design and enthusiastic approach.
Entertainment supplements are a hugely competitive sector of the modern newspaper business. 24/7 is a model of how to present a wide variety of entertainment, even cultural, subjects while maintaining the feel of an integrated package within an original and consistent design theme.
Magazine of the Year: Ulster Tatler Interiors
The magazine takes the universal – and therefore often hackneyed - subject matter of interiors and produces a bright, readable, attractive package; interesting and exciting enough even for readers who have no intention of doing anything to their interiors
10 COCA-COLA CIPR NEWSPAPER PRODUCTION JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Winner: Jeremy Kirker, Irish News
In an impressive and competitive field, Jeremy Kirker’s production journalism stood out for its quality and impact. His entry shone because of the boldness and imagination he brought to big stories and the skilled treatment of pictures which helped him construct memorable front pages.
11 COCA-COLA CIPR PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
Winner: William Cherry, Press Eye
The standard was much higher this year, with three portfolios in the running for top spot.
William’s portfolio had a great range which clearly displayed his ability to compose and image. The portrait of the Rev Ian Paisley was strong, as was his image of the rugby player.
Both Hugh Russell (CIPR PB08/49) and Malcachy McCann (CIPR PB08/152) were very close runners up and worthy of mention.
From all the entries you could tell that the Rev Ian Paisley has touched the lives of many if not all the photographers who work in Northern Ireland including myself when I worked in the province as a young photographer.
This was reflected in the sheer number of images submitted of Dr Paisley. However one stood out from the others, Peter Morrison’s picture of Him giving a ‘last salute’ captured the story of his departure in a single image.
It is my view when judging a portfolio the entries need to show images from a variety of assignments. However as a picture editor I was struck by the portfolio of Will Craig (CIPR PB08/04 which is worthy of special mention). This photographer produced an excellent set of images from an ‘embed’ in Afghanistan. If he had been working for the Daily Telegrah I would have been delighted with his efforts.
12 COCA-COLA CIPR NEWS WEBSITE OF THE YEAR
Winner: The CT website (The Community Telegraph)
This category attracted excellent, and very different, entries and everyone involved should be commended for the websites they have produced and now run.
The winner – The CT – particularly fulfilled very well its function as a news website serving its community, with lively, topical coverage using a range of media, all delivered within an easily understood and usable format.
13 COCA-COLA CIPR CAMERMAN/CREW OF THE YEAR
Winner: John Vernard, UTV
This was a close one but John’s talents stood out above the others.
Special commendation:
Blane Scott, Alan Mackey (UTV) for their high quality work.
14 COCA-COLA CIPR NEWS/CURRENT AFFAIRS PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR
The Pit Bull Sting, Spotlight, BBC NI
Skilful editing, courageous reporting and persistence in following the story made this programme memorable. The Pit Bull Sting combined the best of public service broadcasting values with a pacey production and script to make it irresistible television despite some shocking images. It also demonstrated an ability by the programme team to look beyond traditional Northern Ireland material for a subject.
15 COCA-COLA CIPR WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR
In a close contest from a host of terrific entries one had to win and the judges finally chose a traditional local newspaper that is brilliantly executed. Retaining solid local newspaper values and easy to read, it has all the news the community could want and displays an ability and agility to respond to breaking news on deadline. It is well-designed, full of life and thoroughly engaging.
The winner is the County Down Spectator.
16 COCA-COLA CIPR NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR
a) Sunday Newspaper of the Year
An impressive paper that knows its market and goes straight to the heart of it with scoops that really matter in every edition. It is in-your- face and fearless with probing news section of local material and great exposés. It campaigns in the great tradition and stands comparison with its peers across the UK.
The winner is Sunday World.
b) Daily – and overall newspaper of the year
An elegant, serious newspaper that is required reading. It continues to evolve as society changes, providing a comprehensive package of news, features and special sections that reflects the new Northern Ireland community. Tabloid in format, it retains its serious values as it broadens its scope. It is a paper of record with serious interest and a good news sense. It is the one for the others to beat – and they didn’t this year!
The winner is the Irish News.
17 COCA-COLA CIPR SCOOP OF THE YEAR
A genuine jaw dropping, bombshell scoop of serious public interest that everyone had to chase.
The winner is News of the World for its revelations concerning the private life of PSNI Chief Constable, Sir Hugh Orde.
18 COCA-COLA CIPR JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
A brilliant commentator on Northern Ireland’s rapidly changing history, who finds new ways to reflect life in the Province to a wider audience. He has moved with the times to shine his journalistic light into unexpected corners. A journalist with insight and superb style that you are compelled to read to the last paragraph. The winner is a class act and an inspiring example for all journalists.
The winner is David McKittrick of the Independent.
