Westmeath Examiner shortlisted in two categories for Local Ireland Media Awards
Eilís Ryan of the Westmeath Examiner has been included on the shortlist of nominees for the eighth Local Ireland Media Awards. The Examiner has also been shortlisted in the Best Advertising Campaign category for its work with Expert Electrical.
Eilís is shortlisted in the Feature Journalist of the Year category for her piece in September 2022 analysing the effects of ageing among Irish farmers.
The 2023 competition is the sixth to be sponsored by the National Lottery, which has its own award for Best Community Story.
President of Local Ireland and head of Irish Times Regionals, Dan Linehan, said: “We are delighted with the number and quality of the entries in this year’s Local Ireland Media Awards.
“It reflects the professionalism, quality and skillset across the newsrooms of regional newspapers in Ireland who provide the highest quality local news and sports coverage in print and online every day and every week to our readers.
“We also appreciate the work of our judges, who, with their experience and personal skills, ensure that these awards are judged to the highest standard and ensure that they are a benchmark for quality journalism in Ireland.
“Finally, we thank the National Lottery for their continued support for the Local Ireland Media Awards – this partnership allows us to recognise the work of journalists across the country working in local regions and servicing their communities.”
Executive director of Local Ireland, Bob Hughes, said that more than 400 entries had been received in 14 categories, including journalism, photography, digital content, advertising, sales, design and innovation.
Chair of the judges, journalist, author and broadcaster Alison O’Connor said: “This year’s entries show the excellent quality of regional journalism that exists in Ireland.
“From front pages to news stories, to columnists, features and photographs, readers are so well served by their local publications.
“There is breadth and depth across the range, from the hard-hitting news articles to the softer features – all giving an important insight into the heart of our local communities. Picking just a few nominees for each category was often a highly challenging task. But those nominated show the many examples of excellence to be found in regional publishing.”
The judging panel also includes broadcaster and journalist Dearbhail McDonald, 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.
Winners of the awards will be announced at an event in Bloomfield House Hotel, Mullingar, on Thursday September 21, when the master of ceremonies is RTÉ and Lyric FM presenter Marty Whelan.