IRISH NEWS CONSISTENCY REWARDED
It’s stunning news for our local daily press sector but we can hardly claim to be surprised!
Our own Irish News has landed the overall Grand Prix prize at the 2012 Newspaper Awards in London. Trailing behind was industry defining titles such as the Sunday Times and even The Guardian. On the same evening the paper also landed Regional Newspaper of the Year and was described as “fabulously produced…..screams quality”, “a clear winner” with “real authority”.
This follows on from the two other main industry award schemes both of which also adjudged Irish News as Regional Newspaper of the Year – a significant hat trick and meriting a big well done!
However, terrific as these achievements are I would like to highlight something else that I believe is behind this success. It’s consistency. The Irish News has been delivering its current level of output for years. The paper’s commitment and on-going delivery of what it believes in is demonstrated in every edition. Readers know what to expect and they are rarely disappointed. The urge to makes changes for changes sake has been resisted and this at a time when other papers change on a rather too frequent basis.
This would indicate a clear understanding of its readership base and what they need and want each day from their newspaper of choice. That sounds like it might be obvious but the newspaper scene is littered with failed, misdirected initiatives and little consistency.
So yes I would like to say well done on this stream of awards and deserved recognition but not as much as I would like to applaud the commitment and vision delivered over years.
The challenge of course is not just to ensure survival and maintain the position but to draw in growth and reach out further….it will be fascinating to see the Irish News take its success further. A beacon for our local press!


we’ve been helping Belfast theatre company BRUISER develop a communications programme for their Summer Theatre Schools. We’ll be featuring more in depth background to this from next week on our website . BRUISER will be operating from The MAC Belfasts newest art centre which opens 24th April. Navigator Blue have designed a wide range of materials to help support this energetic theatre company. The Tee shirts will without doubt be 2012’s hottest collectable so get yours;f along to Bruiser for details or contact t.corr@navigatorblue.com and we will get you connected.









