Health

The Irish Times shortlisted in three categories for coverage of mental health

Patrick Freyne and Jennifer O’Connell among nominees

Tue Nov 2 2021 - 15:34

The Irish Times has been shortlisted in three categories for the 2021 Headline Mental Health Media Awards – which recognise excellence in the coverage of mental health issues.

Patrick Freyne is nominated in the "National Print/Online" category for a piece headlined, Ireland's mental health pandemic: from crisis to emergency – a long-read about how Ireland's mental health system was not prepared for the Covid-19 crisis. The category is for a single news report or feature "that deals with stories, topics or issues in, about or related to mental ill health".

Meg Walker's article was published in The Irish Times Saturday Magazine in January, 2021

Meg Walker is also nominated in the same category for a piece published in The Irish Times last January: During lockdown, my 11-year-old was hospitalised with an eating disorder. The other nominees in the category are Sophie White for the Sunday Independent, Arlene Harris for Irish Independent, and Sean Murray for TheJournal.ie.

Jennifer O'Connell took the 2020 award in the "National Print/Online" category, and The Irish Times journalist is nominated again this year, this time in the "Mental Health Content/Special Interest" category, which celebrates a specialist feature that deals with stories, topics or issues in, about or related to mental health. O'Connell's article, Ireland's teenage pariahs: 'We are really at breaking point now', was concerned with the impact Covid-19 has had on Irish teens.

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The Irish Times has a second nomination in the category, with Damian Cullen included for, 'I have far too many stories': 30 Irish women on harassment and assault. The feature was published last March in the wake of the killing of Sarah Everard, a young woman who was kidnapped, raped and murdered in London as she was walking home from a friend's house – sparking much debate about women's safety on streets.

The others nominated in the "Mental Health Content | Special Interest" category are Paul Fennessy and Karen Leach for The42.ie, Paul Dollery for The42.ie, and Michelle Heffernan for Image Magazine Online.

Damian Cullen, Health & Family Editor in The Irish Times, is also nominated for the "Headline Impact Award", along with Stefanie Preissner, Tommy Tiernan, Michelle Heffernan and Joe Finnegan. The category is for a "broadcaster, publisher or individual working in any platform who has made an exceptional contribution to the national conversation around mental ill health".

The winners of each category will be announced on December 1st.

[ 2021 Headline Media Awards Shortlist ]

Mental Health Journalism | National Print/Online

- 'During lockdown, my 11-year-old was hospitalised with an eating disorder', Meg Walker for The Irish Times
- Nobody Tells You… what it's like to be in a mental hospital, Sophie White for The Sunday Independent
- Living with bipolar disorder: 'It is important for people to know that it is possible to have a mostly stable, happy life with this diagnosis', Arlene Harris for Irish Independent
- Ireland's mental health pandemic: from crisis to emergency, Patrick Freyne for The Irish Times
- Suicide organisations warn of exaggerated or false information being shared online, Seán Murray for TheJournal.ie

Mental Health Journalism | Local Print/Online

- I was abused. But I am not broken. My life isn't destroyed, Claire Ronan for Sligo Weekender
- Struggle of watching a friend fade away by Ann Murphy for The Echo
- Letting a light shine for fellow survivors, Fiona McGarry for The Clare Champion
- Galway's mental health services 'creaking', Dara Bradley for Galway City Tribune
- Tragedy of McGinley children could have been avoided with more transparent mental health treatment, Jacqueline Hogge for The Tuam Herald

Mental Health Broadcasting | Short Form

Lack of funding for Ireland's eating disorder treatment plan revealed, Paul O'Donoghue for Newstalk
- Owenacurra residents devastated by proposed closure, Opinion line with PJ Coogan for Cork's 96FM
- Mother who considered killing herself and her children says mental health services failed her, Pat Kenny for Newstalk
- 'I lost my Dad and my best friend', Sheila Naughton for Northern Sound
- Farmers' Awareness Head to Toe group, Mary Fanning for RTÉ Nationwide

Mental Health Broadcasting | Long Form

- Eating with the Enemy: Episode 4, Debbie Thornton & Jean Devlin for Virgin Media Television
- Concerns over Child Mental Health Services in Kerry, Treasa Murphy for Radio Kerry
- Sport Stories: Oisín McConville, Virgin Media Television
- I'm Fine, Outlier Collective for RTÉ Two
- Laochra Gael: Eoin Larkin, Ronan O'Donoghue & Hugh Walsh for TG4

Mental Health Content | Special Interest

- 'I do not want any other child, any other young person or athlete to go through what I went through', Paul Fennessy and Karen Leach for The42.ie
- Ireland's teenage pariahs: 'We are really at breaking point now', Jennifer O'Connell for The Irish Times
- Kennedy consoled by the prospect of a more secure future after retiring at 23, Paul Dollery for The42.ie
- 'I have far too many stories': 30 Irish women on harassment and assault, Damian Cullen for The Irish Times
- 'I'm a man with bulimia. Yes, we exist', Michelle Heffernan for Image Magazine Online

Mental Health Content | Digital

- Overcoming Social Anxiety, Blindboy Boatclub for The Blindboy Podcast
- Intrusive Thoughts, A Lust for Life on Instagram Live
- 'What's the Story with Therapy, Mark?', Stefanie Preissner for Basically with Stefanie Preissner
- Pieta Special – Boys Don't Cry, Jan Ní Fhlanagáin for You OK?, an RTÉ podcast
- Brian Pennie: Bonus Time, Síle Seoige for Ready to Be Real

Headline Voice Media Award in partnership with See Change

- Voices in TheJournal.ie with Laura Byrne
- The Pat Kenny Show for Newstalk
- Irish Independent Health and Living with Yvonne Hogan
- Image Magazine with Amanda Cassidy
- Take a Break, Newstalk

Headline Impact Award

- Stefanie Preissner for Basically with Stefanie Preissner
- Tommy Tiernan for The Tommy Tiernan Show
- Michelle Heffernan for work across multiple outlets
- Damian Cullen for The Irish Times Health & Family
- Joe Finnegan for The Joe Finnegan Show

Special Recognition

- Sophie White for 'I have what she had' featured in Irish Independent
- Karen Sinnott for 'A voice in the dark' featured in New Ross Standard
- Blessing Dada for 'Courage' featured on A Lust for Life's Selfie Show
- Karen Leach for 'I do not want any other child, any other young person or athlete to go through what I went through' featured in The42.ie
- Hazel Katherine Larkin for 'Mother who considered killing herself and her children says mental health services failed her' featured on The Pat Kenny Show

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