THE 'CON' SCOOPS TOP WEEKLY NEWSPAPER AWARD
The 'Con' scoops top weekly newspaper award
THE Tyrone Constitution has been named as Weekly Newspaper of the Year in the annual IPR BT Northern Ireland Press and Broadcast Awards for 1998.
And the newspaper was praised by the distinguished panel of judges from the media world for its 'well researched and dignified' coverage of the Omagh atrocity of August 15 last year and its aftermath.
The award was presented at a prestigious ceremony in the Europa Hotel, Belfast, on Friday night, organised by the Institute of Public Relations and sponsored by BT.
Master of ceremonies for the occasion was GMTV's Eamonn Holmes and in a short citation he said that faced with one of last year's most significant and distressing stories within its own community, the judges found that the Tyrone Constitution 'more than rose to the occasion'.
"The coverage of the Omagh bomb and its aftermath was thorough, well-researched and dignified and was supported by confident use of dramatic photographs.
"Its impact on every aspect of community life was sensitively reported.
"The judges were particularly impressed by the Constitution's strong front page layout, as good, in their opinion, as anything produced by a national broadsheet," the citation concluded.
Entries were judged by working journalists and editors from London and Scotland and by specialists in the field.
The award was handed over to the newspaper's editor, Wesley Atchison, by Lucy Woods, chief executive from BT Northern Ireland, before a packed audience at the glittering occasion.
Mr. Atchison said the award was a wonderful tribute to the entire "Con" team in dealing with such an awful tragedy in the newspaper's own town.
But, he added, that in receiving the award he was mindful of the terrible loss of life, and the pain and distress still suffered by so many in the community.
Mr Norman Armstrong, managing director, said that the issues of the newspaper which so impressed the judges were produced in very trying circumstances in the immediate aftermath of the bomb.
"It was an extremely challenging time for the editorial staff, and it is a tribute to their professionalism that they were able to cope with the demands of the tragedy to produce in depth coverage in such a thorough and sensitive way, bearing in mind their closeness to and involvement in the trauma which wracked the entire area," he said.
"What is reflected in the judges' decision is not only the dedication and expertise of the editor, reporters and photographers, but also the great efforts by employees in all other departments who overcame many difficulties and emotional stress to ensure by their contribution that the newspaper was published in time.
"Weekly newspapers by the very nature of things have limited resources which are not geared to having to cope with an event of such horrible magnitude, so it is pleasing that the judges found merit in the way that the Constitution met the challenge with which it was faced."
THE Tyrone Constitution has been named as Weekly Newspaper of the Year in the annual IPR BT Northern Ireland Press and Broadcast Awards for 1998.
And the newspaper was praised by the distinguished panel of judges from the media world for its 'well researched and dignified' coverage of the Omagh atrocity of August 15 last year and its aftermath.
The award was presented at a prestigious ceremony in the Europa Hotel, Belfast, on Friday night, organised by the Institute of Public Relations and sponsored by BT.
Master of ceremonies for the occasion was GMTV's Eamonn Holmes and in a short citation he said that faced with one of last year's most significant and distressing stories within its own community, the judges found that the Tyrone Constitution 'more than rose to the occasion'.
"The coverage of the Omagh bomb and its aftermath was thorough, well-researched and dignified and was supported by confident use of dramatic photographs.
"Its impact on every aspect of community life was sensitively reported.
"The judges were particularly impressed by the Constitution's strong front page layout, as good, in their opinion, as anything produced by a national broadsheet," the citation concluded.
Entries were judged by working journalists and editors from London and Scotland and by specialists in the field.
The award was handed over to the newspaper's editor, Wesley Atchison, by Lucy Woods, chief executive from BT Northern Ireland, before a packed audience at the glittering occasion.
Mr. Atchison said the award was a wonderful tribute to the entire "Con" team in dealing with such an awful tragedy in the newspaper's own town.
But, he added, that in receiving the award he was mindful of the terrible loss of life, and the pain and distress still suffered by so many in the community.
Mr Norman Armstrong, managing director, said that the issues of the newspaper which so impressed the judges were produced in very trying circumstances in the immediate aftermath of the bomb.
"It was an extremely challenging time for the editorial staff, and it is a tribute to their professionalism that they were able to cope with the demands of the tragedy to produce in depth coverage in such a thorough and sensitive way, bearing in mind their closeness to and involvement in the trauma which wracked the entire area," he said.
"What is reflected in the judges' decision is not only the dedication and expertise of the editor, reporters and photographers, but also the great efforts by employees in all other departments who overcame many difficulties and emotional stress to ensure by their contribution that the newspaper was published in time.
"Weekly newspapers by the very nature of things have limited resources which are not geared to having to cope with an event of such horrible magnitude, so it is pleasing that the judges found merit in the way that the Constitution met the challenge with which it was faced."
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1344
Published Date: 29-Apr-99
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