Filmmakers scoop top media prize

THE makers of a powerful documentary on an attempted political coup in Venezuela were yesterday announced overall winners of the 2003 ESB Media Awards.

David Power, Kim Bartley and Donnacha O'Bríain received a special trophy and 5,000 for their documentary, Chavez Inside the Coup, which was broadcast on RTÉ and BBC earlier this year.

The trio, who are tipped for an Oscar nomination, also won the individual award for best TV documentary for the same film.

They received their prizes at a gathering of the country's top journalists in Dublin's Mansion House yesterday from ESB chief executive Padraig McManus and guest of honour BBC reporter Fergal Keane. Ms Bartley paid tribute to Indymedia a global coalition of independent TV producers outside the mainstream media, whose coverage in Venezuela had contributed greatly to the programme's success.

Shane Phelan of the Irish Daily Star was named Young Journalist of the Year for articles written about the

finances of Gurranabraher Credit Union in Cork while working with the Cork-based Evening Echo Jimmy Woulfe of the Evening Echo's sister edition in Limerick

lifted the prize for Best Provincial Print Journalist for a series of reports on crime in Limerick. The Special Judges Award went to veteran reporter Mary Holland for her contribution to journalism, which had "left an indelible mark on the historical record of events in Northern Ireland".

Two of the 13 individual categories were also won by journalists working in Northern Ireland; this is in the first yea the competition was open to reporters in all 32 counties. All prizewinners received a special trophy plus a cheque for 1,500.

Commenting on the state of journalism, Fergal Keane expressed concern that the voices of ordinary people were getting lost in the concentration on major political stories Other award-winners included:

Niamh Sammon and Steve Carson: (Best Politics/Current Affairs) for the TV series, Fine Gael: A Family at War.

Kathleen Barrington, Sunday Business Post: (Business).

Breandán Delap, Foinse: (Irish Language).

Greg Harkin, The People: (Scoop of the Year) for an article on the IRA informer, Stakeknife.

Frank McDonald and Kathy Sheridan, Irish Times: (Features).

David McKittrick, The Independent: (Opinion).

Barbara Galvan and Maurice Linnane: (Sports Broadcast) for DJ Carey: The Story.

Paula Carroll, Clare FM: (Radio Documentary).

Teresa O'Malley, Mid-West Radio: (Best Provincial Broadcast).