The Irish Times health correspondent, Eithne Donnellan, was named print medical journalist of the year at the GlaxoSmithKline Irish Medical Media Awards yesterday.
Judges praised the journalist for her "accurate reporting of topical complex health issues, for showing sensitivity without sensationalism, and for being attentive to issues of inequality in the health service and with an emphasis on potential remedies".
RTÉ's health correspondent Fergal Bowers won the top award of Irish medical journalist of the year. He was praised for his "outstanding contribution - not for the first time - in his coverage of health, for a successful transition from print to the broadcast medium and for his ability to edit and present quickly, enabling viewers and listeners to make up their own minds."
The regional media award was won by the Connacht Tribune's Michelle McDonagh, who is also a contributor to this newspaper.
Medicine Weekly writers won three awards. Fiachra Ó Cionnaith won the young Irish medical journalist of the year award while Dara Gantly was named professional medical media reporter of the year. Their colleague, Dr Garrett FitzGerald, won the professional medical media opinion award.
The RTÉ/Prime Time team of Adrian Lydon, Máire Kearney and Janet Traynor won the broadcast media award for their Prime Time Investigates report on the standards of care in nursing homes.
The judges described the programme as outstanding investigative reporting.
The irishhealth.com website reporter Niall Hunter won the electronic media award for his "original, comprehensive and well-written coverage of health issues".
