Irish Times journalist Shauna Bowers has been named one of two winners of the inaugural Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism in the Republic of Ireland (RCJF) after a unanimous decision by judges.
The fellowship, which was founded by former United States First Lady Rosalynn Carter, gives journalists across the world the resources to report on mental and behavioural health issues. Alongside Bowers, Órla Ryan of The Journal.ie was named one of two Irish fellows.
Bowers has been confirmed as a recipient of the fellowship after proposing to investigate the prevalence and impact of mental health issues among those engaged in Ireland’s criminal justice system. Ryan’s submission focuses on the lack of services impacting teenagers with schizophrenia.
“When asked about reporting on mental illness, journalists were clear in their request for more support and better resources,” said Áine O’Meara, programme leader at Headline, a platform that reports on mental health issues and works in partnership with the Carter Centre.
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“That’s a fundamental part of Headline’s work: to make it as easy as possible to cover challenging mental health stories.
“Órla and Shauna both pitched projects that dig into underreported areas and highlight the needs of Ireland’s most marginalised communities. It’s mental health journalism at its finest, and we’re honoured to facilitate that through this fellowship.”
