The Detail’s “painstaking, weighty investigative journalism” honoured at NI media awards

THE Detail is celebrating further success after winning a string of top awards at the annual ceremony marking excellence in Northern Ireland journalism.

Our reporting team won four separate titles, making the website one of the best performers at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) NI Media Awards.

Deputy Editor Kathryn Torney won in two separate categories: Specialist Journalist of the Year and Campaign of the Year.

Barry McCaffrey was named Digital Journalist of the Year, while Niall McCracken was awarded the title of Production Journalist of the Year.

Journalists, editors and programme makers from across the print, broadcast and online media were honoured at a gala event in The Mac in Belfast which was hosted by broadcaster Eamonn Holmes and which marked the 21st anniversary of the Coca-Cola CIPR NI Media Awards.

The success for The Detail came after we were commended at the prestigious Online Media Awards in London earlier this month.

Kathryn Torney’s excellence in data Journalism was praised by the CIPR judges who awarded her the title of Specialist Journalist of the Year.

The judging panel said her work “combines exhaustive statistical research and analysis and the ability to follow the figures through to the stark human stories behind them”.

Kathryn’s data projects that featured reports on children of prisoners, domestic abuse and suicide deaths were said to be a “superb example of the specialist journalist at work in the modern, data-hefty age”.

Kathryn also took the title of Campaign of the Year for reports that led to a landmark ruling by the Court of Appeal that a coroner could hold an inquest into the death of a baby boy who was stillborn in 2001.

The judges said the campaign showed “compassion and understanding” and was “an excellent campaign with a proved outcome”.

Barry McCaffrey won the coveted title of Digital Journalist of the Year, which comes after his recent success in being awarded the Overall Justice Media Award in the Attorney General’s Justice Media Awards.

The CIPR judges said that while “the instant opinions of social media and the Blogosphere are vibrant and vital, Barry McCaffrey proves that painstaking, weighty investigative Digital Journalism is also key to the future of a healthy media”.

The judging panel said his reports from Germany charted “the successes and failures when the secret files of East Germany’s infamous Stasi were thrown open to victims as part of a reconciliation process”.

The judges said Barry’s other reports on Northern Ireland’s justice system represented an “impressive portfolio”.

Niall McCracken was named Production Journalist of the Year, for his filming and editing of a series of video packages that were central to The Detail’s new project on dealing with the fallout from the Northern Ireland Troubles: The Legacy.

Niall’s films in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland tackled issues from the decades of conflict, but also included a contemporary report on the issues facing the Northern Ireland prison system.

He also travelled to Berlin to compile films on how the city is coping with its divisive history.

The judges said Niall’s work “displayed high quality production values and interesting camera work that makes for compelling viewing”.

Editor of The Detail Steven McCaffery said: “This was a stunning success for The Detail.

“Winning four individual awards made us one of the top performing media organisations in Northern Ireland at the ceremony, which is a fantastic tribute to our team’s work.

“Our data journalism, our reporting on the operation of the justice system and our new Legacy project on the Troubles, all featured prominently.

“It is a credit to our team and to those who have continued to support our work, that The Detail has yet again been recognised for outstanding journalism.”

See a full list of winners at the awards website here.