Entries open for Headline’s Mental Health Media Awards (Ireland)

The focus is on stories, topics or issues in, about or related to mental ill health. Special categories have been added to recognise the decision makers behind the scenes who facilitate and encourage impactful, inclusive and informed stories.

Objectives

• The objective of the awards is to give national recognition to published works or broadcasts which:
  • Foster greater public understanding of mental health issues.
  • Challenge stereotypes and stigma associated with mental health difficulties with the highest standard of journalism.
  • Inform and educate audiences as to the lived experience of people living with mental health difficulties.
  • Disclose practices or procedures needing reform so as to encourage the development and modernisation of Ireland’s mental health services.

Categories

• Headline’s Mental Health Media Awards celebrate work across 9 categories and a wide range of media platforms, highlighting the unique role of journalists, producers and storytellers in making brave editorial decisions while limiting harm to vulnerable audiences.
  • Mental Health Journalism – National Print/Online
    • For a single print or online news report or feature, published in a national news outlet, that deals with stories, topics or issues in, about or related to mental ill health.
  • Mental Health Journalism – Local Print/Online
    • For a single print or online news report or feature, published in a local/regional news outlet, that deals with stories, topics or issues in, about or related to mental ill health.
  • Mental Health Broadcasting – Long Form
    • For a factual, long form feature/documentary, broadcast on television or radio, that deals with current stories, topics or issues in, about or related to mental ill health.
  • Mental Health Broadcasting – Short Form
    • For a factual, short form, journalistic clip/segment/interview, broadcast on television or radio, that deals with current stories, topics or issues in, about or related to mental ill health. This can include content from magazine-style programmes and current affairs programmes.
  • Mental Health Content – Special Interest
    • For a feature article (550 words or longer) published in print or online that deals with stories, topics or issues in, about or related to mental ill health. This may include specialist features such as sport, music, food and health and may be published across any platform, including newspaper supplements and magazines.
  • Mental Health Content – Digital
    • For podcasts, interactive online features, apps, interactive documentaries and other digital technologies that use creative, innovative techniques and content to extend knowledge, understanding of, and engagement with, mental ill health.
  • Student Journalism Award in partnership with Journal Media
    • For a piece of media, including radio, digital or print made by a student as part of a course at a university or third level institute, that deals with stories, topics or issues in, about or related to mental health. Entries may also be included from student publications or stations, provided that entry did not receive any professional editorial oversight.  The winner of this award will receive a one-week reporting placement with the publication partner TheJournal.ie, along with a bursary for expenses.
  • Special Recognition Award
    • For an individual with lived experience of mental ill health who, in their own words, shares their story to help and educate a wider audience.
  • Shine Audience Choice Award
    • The “Shine Audience Choice Award” will reward a piece of Irish media (an article, a factual TV or radio programme or podcast) that has impacted the Irish public and/or shaped public conversation on mental ill health in Ireland.

Why enter the awards?

• A unique opportunity to be recognised by some of the industry’s top professionals for achieving excellence in your approach to stories of mental ill health, while also being recognised by the mental health community.
• Only awards in Ireland dedicated to recognising excellence in mental health media.
• Almost 20% of the Irish populations were recorded as experiencing mental health challenges in 2018. These awards recognise the crucial role Irish media plays in encouraging suicide prevention and stigma reduction content.
• The Awards are diverse and open to entries from professional media anywhere in the Ireland.

Rules

• General
  • The principal occupation of the author(s)/broadcaster(s) of work entered in the respective categories must be one of the following: journalist, broadcaster, researcher, producer or editor. Note: Exceptions to this rule are the Special Recognition Award, Digital Award, and Student Award categories.
  • Media professionals must ordinarily work in Ireland and/or work for newspapers/news websites published in Ireland or production companies whose work is broadcast in Ireland.
  • All entries must be made via the online entry system. Files must be submitted in PDF format, or mp4 for audio or video submissions, and must be less than 100MB in size.
• Nominations
  • Entries may be made by a third party or by the nominee themselves.
  • No more than 2 entries per nominee, per category are allowed. No more than 5 entries per nominee across all categories are allowed.
  • The volume of nominations will not have an impact on the judges’ decision. A piece of work with 10 nominations will be considered in the same light as a piece with one nomination.
  • Third party nominators may enter only one nominee per category.
• Content
  • Personal social media accounts will not be accepted as entries in any category.
  • For a piece of media to be considered broadcast, it must have been played on a national or local radio or television station.
  • Short Form Broadcast pieces constitute a segment of a programme, i.e., a section in a news or current affairs programme. Long Form Broadcast pieces constitute a self-contained episode of a show or series or a standalone feature, i.e., a documentary.
• Students
  • Entrants for the Student Award must be a current student of a third level course (i.e., diploma, undergraduate, postgraduate) or have recently graduated (within 2023).
  • The volume of nominations will not have an impact on the judges’ decision. A piece of work with 10 nominations will be considered in the same light as a piece with one nomination.
  • The bursary will be made available to winners who take up the newsroom placement only.
  • Entries may also be included from student publications or stations, provided that entry did not receive any professional editorial oversight.

For more information, visit Headline.