Congratulations to Leanne Waters for winning the 2011 Headline Smedia award!
Leanne Waters of UCD’s University Observer has won the Headline Smediaaward for journalism relating to mental health or suicide prevention with her article entitled “Eating Disorders.” The article appeared in the 1, March edition of the University Observer where Leanne is Features Editor.
Carl O’Brien, Chief Reporter with the Irish Times who judged the category said that this personal account “was very powerful and helped demystify many of the aspects of the illness and gave practical solutions on how to access support.”
This is the fourth year that the category was sponsored by Headline – the national media monitoring programme for mental health and suicide in association with the HSE’s National Office for Suicide Prevention. This years award was presented by Geoff Day, Director at the National Office for Suicide Prevention (pictured with Leanne above). Headline sponsors the award in an effort to raise awareness among media students of the issues involved when reporting on mental health and suicide and to recognise the good work being produced.
Kahlil Thompson-Coyle, Headline’s Media Project Manager said that, “the media have a huge impact on the way we think about mental health problems. The standard of submissions for the Headline award suggests that the next generation of journalists will play a key role in raising awareness of and de-stigmatising mental health problems.”
You can read the winning article here as well as other excellent articles that appeared in a recent series on mental health published in the University Observer.
For photos of the cermony in the Mansion House, click here .
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And the nominees are…..
The winner of the 2011 Headline-NOSP Smedia award will be announced at the awards on the 6th April in the Mansion house. The judge for this year’s Headline award is Carl O’Brien, Chief Reporter with the Irish Times.
The nominees for this years award for “Journalism relating to Mental Health or Suicide Prevention” are
Carrie Bermingham – BCFE Bulletin: Male Body Image – BCFE
Annabel Cleary – Let’s Start Talking: Radio Documentary – Griffith College Dublin
Leanne Waters – University Observer: Eating Disorders – University College Dublin
Natalie Voorheis – The University Observer: Suicide Helplines – University College Dublin
Sarah Doran – University Observer: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – University College Dublin
