National award for Roscrea journalist

Roscrea journalist Jennifer O'Brien has won a national journalism award at the News Brands Ireland Journalism Awards at the Mansion House, Dublin.

Presented by Matt Cooper, this was the second time for Jennifer to receive the national award for Showbiz Story of the Year, having previously won in 2011.

Jennifer is a daughter of Tom and Angela O'Brien, Whitepark, Roscrea. She is currently Ireland Arts Correspondent at The Times - Ireland Edition. She is a former student of the Sacred Heart Convent and Coláiste Phobal in Roscrea; she studied at NUI Galway.

Jennifer and her colleague and co-winner Catherine Sanz won the award for their article 'Al Porter sex pest claims', published in The Times in November 2017.

The judges' citation reads: “The last 12 months have been a tumultuous and status-changing time in the world of celebrity. The #metoo movement continues to give women and men the confidence to speak out against sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry and expose those believed to be too powerful to be named and shamed.

“Social media plays a critical role in allowing alleged victims to share their experiences and potentially career-destroying claims to the world. While online platforms are useful for information-sharing and tip-offs, showbiz journalists need to go straight to the source, interview, relentlessly fact-check and verify before ever publishing a story deemed to be of public interest.

“When this tenacity combined with brave editorial decisions results in a resignation from a high-profile personality, you know you are on to something good, which is why the 'Showbiz Story of the Year' goes to Jennifer O’Brien and Catherine Sanz of Times Ireland.’