Tag Archives: Phoenix

awards1

Last year’s National Newspapers of Ireland award winners

The Phoenix magazine is reporting that the National Newspapers of Ireland Awards will not be taking place this year because Independent News and Media has pulled out due to “costs”.

INM has five national titles out of 16 NNI members and owns most of the 25 provincial member titles.

The magazine reports:

“The run-up to the awards judgements [last year] involved several fraught sessions of the judges panel …”[Judges panel chairman Michael] Brophy suggested that voting for journalist of the year – the three contenders were [Kitty] Holland, [Paul] Williams (the Anglo Tapes story) and David Walsh (the Lance Armstrong exposé) – be by secret ballot to avoid leaks as in previous years and that the winner be known only to the panel’s secretary until the night of the awards. Despite being agreed by the judges in advance, the night of the vote witnesses…[INM executive on the panel Ian] Mallon then called for a vote on the vote issue which produced a tiny minority for his proposal and so the vote proceeded in secret with the result being that the Williams scoop not only failed to clinch it but was beaten into third place.”

Yikes.

UPDATE: Not so, according to informed sources  (taps nose), the show may go on. More to follow.

(NNI)

90340717Former Irish Independent journalist Gemma O’Doherty at her Employment Appeals Tribunal in May.

You may recall how Gemma O’Doherty appeared before the Employment Appeals Tribunal on May 9 last when she took an unfair dismissal case against Independent News and Media.

The case was adjourned pending written submissions and on a decision on whether it should be postponed until after the conclusion of a defamation case – that Ms O’Doherty is taking against group editor-in-chief Stephen Rae and the Irish Independent.

Further to this, The Phoenix magazine, on shelves now, reports:

“There is now serious concern at INM and especially the Indo at what evidence O’Doherty is likely to bring forward at the EAT [Employment Appeals Tribunal] and the High Court whenever hearings take place. Group managing editor, [Stephen] Rae, has told the board that the situation is under control but that does not explain why O’Doherty has resisted efforts, including substantial compensation and a generous contract, to drop her case.”

“It is not just penalty points being wiped out for the ex-commissioner and the Indo editor that O’Doherty will be focusing on in her evidence. It is the deep, complex relationship between the Gardaí and INM editorial, especially the Indo, that will come under scrutiny at any High Court or EAT hearings. This will involve not only the Anglo tapes but also the coverage of the various Garda controversies like the GSOC bugging allegations, whistleblowers and so on.”

Gulp.

Previously: Going To Work

Are You A Journalist?

Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland