Westmeath Independent makes shortlist in local media awards
The Westmeath Independent has been shortlisted in two categories of this year's Local Ireland Media Awards.
The hotly-contested accolades showcase excellence in journalism and the achievements of Ireland’s local news publishers and their staff. This year’s awards will be sponsored for the seventh consecutive year by the National Lottery.
The Westmeath Independent has been named among the final four in the Best Local Advertisement category for a series of advertisements relating to Petmania's Opening Party.
The newspaper is also shortlisted in the Best Advertising Campaign category for the Wines Direct campaign.
We are also shortlisted for a group supplement on environmental issues, In Our Hands, produced with our sister titles in the Celtic Media Group.
President of Local Ireland and Head of Irish Times Regionals Dan Linehan said: “We have had nearly 600 entries for the awards which underlines the quality and excellence of our local newspapers and their digital and online platforms.
“I want to thank the National Lottery for their sponsorship of the awards and their commitment to supporting local journalism, which is at the heart of communities across Ireland.”
National Lottery CEO Cian Murphy said:“We are incredibly proud of our continued association with the Local Ireland Media Awards that recognise the top-class journalists and media professionals who tirelessly serve our local communities.
“We are also very excited to host the Best Community Journalist category, a category that aligns with our own core values of generosity in community spirit and recognises the impact of communities working together to make a real and tangible difference”.
The judges for the awards include author and broadcaster Alison O’Connor, who is chairing the panel, 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, journalist and author PJ Cunningham, novelist and newspaper columnist Dr Martina Devlin, Policy Editor of the Business Post Daniel Murray and Deputy Night Editor of the Irish Sun Gerry McCarthy.
The award winners will be announced at a gala event at the Mullingar Park Hotel on Thursday, September 19.
The host will be RTÉ presenter and Eurovision guru Marty Whelan.