MC Anton Savage kicks off the 2020 MHMA ceremony

Peter Feeney, Press Ombudsman and MHMA 2020 Judge spoke about the incredible challenge faced by the judging panel this year. He was impressed by the variety, depth and imagination shown across the entries, which made the selection process all the more difficult. He mentioned how important it is for journalists to resist engaging in stereotypes in their work and he was heartened to see this careful attitude reflected in every piece he reviewed. Peter said: “My hope is that this attitude will percolate through to all journalists, and result in our newspapers, our online publications, radio and televisions stations all being stereotype-free zones of informed and accurate reporting on mental ill health.”

This year, Headline was honored to welcome Mary Butler, Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People to the ceremony. Minister Butler talked about the changing face of stigma reduction and prevention efforts in Ireland and how the media are an integral part of this. Commending the vital work of the nominees and winners, Minster Butler said: “In these extremely challenging times, it is so important to recognise and celebrate our successes.”  

This year’s Mental Health Content – Digital Award went to Rory O’Neill/Panti Bliss for the podcast episode, ‘Pantisocracy: Breaking Secrets and Silence’. The judges felt that “the differing perspectives of contributors were simply captivating, and the conversations were handled with remarkable respect, empathy, compassion and humanity.”

Owen Ryan of the Clare Champion won the Local Print and Online Award for his report, ‘Importance of being Jamie’. Described by the judges as “beautiful and well-written”, this piece handles the experiences of transgenderism and mental ill health with great care.

The winners of the Mental Health Broadcasting – Short Form Award were Marian Malone and Matt Kelly for an episode of Nationwide which focused on the Kinvara Alive suicide prevention initiative. The judges felt this was “a positive and uplifting segment, the humanity of the response was admirable, and you are left with the feeling that any community could do it.”

The Headline Special Recognition Award recognises that impactful conversations about mental health are not just coming from media professionals, but also those outside the industry who are also contributing in a valuable and positive way. For speaking out her journey towards recovery from an eating disorder, the winner of this award was Sheila Naughton for her interview, ‘The Road to Recovery’ on RTÉ Radio 1, accessible on RTE player.

The winner of the Mental Health Content – Special Interest category was Peter McGuire’s piece, ‘Speak or Survive: Does Ireland Write Off the Survivors of Sexual Violence?’ for Noteworthy.ie. The judges were especially impressed with the huge amount of research that went into this piece and the number and diversity of perspectives included.

For Mental Health Broadcasting – Long Form Award, the winners were Kim Bartley and Aoife Kavanagh for their Virgin Media Television documentary The Unteachables. The judges described it as “ultimately a story of hope and empowerment, where nobody is a lost cause”.

The winner of the Headline Student Journalist Award was Kathleen O’Sullivan, for her article Hooked on Painkillers: farming’s hidden addiction. The judges noted that this piece was “well-researched and demanded answers from policy-makers and service providers”.

The National Print or Online Journalism Award was won by Jennifer O’Connell for her article in the Irish Times, ‘There’s no deadline for healing’. Jennifer gave couples who had lost a child to miscarriage a platform to tell their own stories in a sensitive and compelling way. The judges felt that “you could really feel the parents’ emotions through these evocative stories”.

The Voice Media Award category was developed and judged in collaboration with See Change – The National Stigma Reduction Partnership. It recognises the coverage that a broadcaster or publication has given to those with self-experience of a mental health difficulty. The winner of this category, The Irish Times, has demonstrated excellence in reportage and inclusion of those living with mental ill health.

The Headline Impact Award, which recognises the impact a content creator, commissioning editor, individual producer or programme has made on audiences’ mental health recovery, went to The Echo/EchoLive.ie for their consistent coverage of a diversity of content around mental health and mental ill health. The judges noted a particular effort to highlight less commonly talked about mental health issues. For example, the presence of eating disorders among older men.

Also involved in the judging process for the Voice Media Award, Impact Award and Special Recognition Award were Shauna O’Connor from See Change, Caroline Norris, Karolyn Ward and Derek Pepper from Shine and Rosa Kearns and Elaine Haskins from Headline.