IRELAND’S LEADING REGIONAL JOURNALISTS INVITED TO ENTER LOCAL IRELAND MEDIA AWARDS
Local Ireland, the organisation which represents 42 print and online news publishers has launched its annual media awards to celebrate regional journalism around the country.
The awards recognise the contribution that regional news organisations make to journalism and their communities.
This will be the sixth year of the awards and the fourth to be sponsored by the National Lottery.
President of Local Ireland, Declan McGuire said: “I am delighted to launch the call for entries for the Local Ireland Media Awards.
“The awards celebrate the best in local journalism and news publishing, both in print and online.
“Local news publishers are vital to our communities and to our democratic processes and accountability. They provide trusted, professional coverage of news, sport, entertainment and culture at a hyperlocal level unequalled by any other media.
“As a special feature this year, we will be increasing our digital awards categories to include Best Use of Digital and Best Use of Social Media.
“We will also be introducing a new award for Best Innovation, which will be open to print and online initiatives, while digital content and journalism will also qualify for several other categories.”
CEO of the National Lottery Andrew Algeo said: ““We are delighted to be sponsoring the Local Ireland Media Awards, which reflect the importance of local news publishers in supporting their communities by delivering quality news and information week-in week-out. Never has this been more acutely valued than in the current COVID pandemic.
“Community spirit is vital to the well-being of people throughout Ireland. Just like local media, the National Lottery is embedded in communities through our players, our retail partners and of course through the Good Causes Fund and the community groups that it supports. On an average day in 2020, the players of National Lottery games provided over €694,000 of funding to Good Causes, just by playing. At a time when charitable groups and projects needed funding the most, our players raised €254 million last year and have now raised more than €6 billion for Good Causes since the inception of the National Lottery in 1987.
“This is our fourth year of sponsorship for the event and we are particularly honoured to be judging our own special award for the Best Community Story.”
Executive Director of Local Ireland Bob Hughes said the awards ceremony would be held on November 11 at the Bloomfield House Hotel in Mullingar hosted by journalist, broadcaster and sports personality, Marty Morrissey.
He added: “We have a very strong team of judges, which this year will be chaired for the first time by journalist and broadcaster Áine Kerr, Chief Operating Officer of Kinzen, former Manager of Global Journalism Partnerships with Facebook and former Managing Editor of Storyful. Áine previously worked in national and local journalism in Ireland and is the presenter of Reignite on RTÉ Radio One, which begins a new series on Saturday July 31st at 10am.
“Our other judges are Emeritus Professor at TUD Michael Foley, Dawn Wheatley of DCU School of Communications, Managing Director of Kinetic Ireland Andrew Sinclair, photographer and former Irish Times Picture Editor Frank Miller, broadcaster and writer Valerie Cox and journalist and author PJ Cunningham.”
LOCAL IRELAND MEDIA AWARDS CATEGORIES
- News Story of the Year
This can be a single story on a single topic. The winner will be the journalist who produces a major news story with a strong local focus which is well written and structured and makes a significant impact for the local community. Attracting national coverage would also be advantageous. There should be a maximum of two samples of work to be submitted.
- News Series of the Year
This can be a series of stories related to the same topic.
The winner will be the journalist who produces a news series with a local focus which is well written and structured and generates a high level of response from the local community. Attracting national coverage/attention would also be advantageous.
Maximum of 2 samples of work to be submitted together with a summary of the impact of each entry.
- Feature Story of the Year
This can be a single story or a series of articles on a single topic.
It can include human interest, lifestyle, local personality profiles, social interest stories or other topics outside of the news and sports categories.
The winner will be the journalist who produces a story with a local focus which is relevant, well written and structured and brings good insight to the topic.
Maximum of 2 samples of work to be submitted together with a summary of the impact of each entry.
- Sports Journalist of the Year
This can be a single story or a series of articles on a single topic.
It can include match reports, sports profiles, and series of articles on a season/campaign or any other topic of sporting interest.
The winner will be the journalist who produces a story with a local focus which is relevant, well written and structured and brings good insight to the topic.
Maximum of 3 samples of work to be submitted together with a summary of the impact of each entry.
- National Lottery Best Community Story of the Year
This will be awarded to the news story or feature that best captures community spirit and the impact of local people working together to make a difference.
Maximum of 3 samples of work to be submitted together with a summary of the impact of each entry.
- Best Supplement of the Year
The winner will be the newspaper that produces an editorial/advertorial supplement of outstanding quality combining excellent editorial and advertising content, good design and quality reproduction. Supplements can be either part of the main newspaper edition or stand-alone offerings. Entries should be confined to one entry per publication. Seven copies of the entries should be sent by post to: Bob Hughes, Ashfield, Brownstown, Kilcloon, Co Meath A85 CK79. The entries will then be distributed to the judging panel.
- Photograph of the Year
This award will be presented to the photographer who will present a remarkable picture with excellent composition which is well-placed in a local newspaper.
Maximum of 6 samples of work to be submitted in jpeg format.
- Best Use of Photography
The winner will be the publication which best demonstrates how it uses photography to illustrate news or sport stories or features, or uses photography on its own to tell compelling stories.
Maximum of six samples of work to be submitted in pdf format.
- Best Designed Front Page
This category will recognise the impact of an appealing front page. Essential to this will be a strong page layout, excellent headlines coupled with eye-catching photography, good captions and relevant graphics.
Maximum of three editions of work to be submitted.
- Best Local Advertisement
This will be a single stand-out advertisement for a local client which displays excellent copywriting, design and reproduction in print or digital.
Maximum of 6 samples of work to be submitted.
- Best Advertising Campaign
The winner will be an advertising campaign for a single, local or national client which makes best use of local print media to deliver its messages. It may include clearly identified advertorial.
Maximum of 6 samples of work to be submitted.
- Best Innovation
This can be any business initiative print or online that demonstrates a creative and inventive approach to enhance the news publishers’ offering to its readers and audiences, or has grown the business in an innovative way. This should be a single entry of the most impactful initiative taken during the qualifying period.
- Best Use of Digital
The award will go to the local newspaper which demonstrates how its digital offerings enhance its print editions by expanding its total audience, increasing engagement and growing revenue.
No more than 5 entries per title with links to not more than 5 online platforms
It can include a newspaper’s website, digital editions, apps or any combinations or parts thereof.
- Best use of Social Media
This award is for the most innovative way of promoting print and online content or effectively communicating excellence in journalism via social media. This could involve a variety of techniques including stills, graphics, videos, imaginative headlines and clever scripting. Maximum of 6 samples of work to be submitted.
- Lifetime Achievement Award
This award is not open for entries and will be selected by a panel from the executive of Local Ireland.
