An Irish Times project has been awarded the Mary Raftery Prize, which recognises contributions to social affairs journalism.
The prize is awarded annually to an individual or small team responsible for social affairs journalism which combined the “rigorous analysis and commitment to social justice that characterised Mary Raftery’s journalism, and resulted in a significant impact on society”.
The winning project featured work by journalists Naomi O’Leary, Colm Keena and Enda O’Dowd on landlord Marc Godart, who evicted a tenant who had objected to CCTV surveillance in their home.
The prize is named in memory of the late Mary Raftery, whose journalism resulted in the establishment of government commissions of inquiry into the industrial school system and the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin.
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The journalist, who worked in broadcasting for RTÉ and wrote for The Irish Times, was best known for the 1999 States of Fear documentary series which uncovered institutional and clerical abuse of children and for her work on the women of the Magdalene laundries.
In 1985, she was named as the Woman Journalist of the Year for her documentary on the mistreatment of patients in Irish psychiatric hospitals. She died in 2012 at the age of 54.
The prize consists of a medal engraved with the winner’s name and €1,000.
Jack Power, acting Europe Correspondent of The Irish Times, was also nominated for his investigation into unregulated accommodation for children in care.
Órla Ryan, who recently joined The Irish Times, was nominated for The Journal Investigates project “Falling Through the Cracks: Are young people with psychosis getting the help they need?”
Two other projects from The Journal were also nominated, with Saoirse McGarrigle chosen for thejournal.ie work “Group of victims of paedophile former surgeon Michael Shine speak out for the first time” and Patricia Devlin, for The Journal Investigates project “Wild Not Free: Is inaction on wildlife crime further threatening vulnerable species?”
