Essential Media lists for your team Brought to you by MediaHQ 1 Introduction Thank you for downloading this guide. We are fortunate that Ireland has amazing journalistic talent, however it can be hard to keep track of all that talent. With budding journalists entering the ring, and seasoned professionals getting called up to the major leagues, as well as the creation of new media opportunities it’s difficult to ensure that all your media lists are up-to-date. We wanted to provide a concise guide of media contacts for you and your team, some recent media moves and a few handy little pitching tips. We also provided details on sports and features journalists for the summer ahead. Remember, all of these lists are available on MediaHQ.com with full bio’s, pitching tips and contact details. The MediaHQ team. WHAT IS MEDIAHQ.COM? MediaHQ.com is Ireland’s leading media directory. With contact details for over 8,000 journalists listed on our system, our media intelligence is unrivalled. We have helped hundreds of brands including Paddy Power, daa and Fáilte Ireland share their stories through our database and press release distribution hub. Your story, further, faster. To find out more about the system, email us, [email protected] or call 01 473 2050. 2 Radio Heroes Mary O’Hagan, RTÉ, Drivetime Mary O’Hagan is now a producer on RTÉ Drivetime. She was previously a producer on Today FM’s Last Word with Matt Cooper. During her time in Today FM she has produced programmes covering major events in Irish public life. Lisa Marie Berry, RTÉ, Today with Sean O’Rourke Lisa Marie Berry is now a producer on RTÉ’s Today with Sean O’Rourke. Prior to this she was the executive producer of Tonight With Vincent Browne and People’s Debate on TV3. Diarmuid Doyle, Today FM, The Last Word Diarmuid Doyle started his role as researcher for the Last Word in February 2015. Prior to this he worked as a producer on Today FM’s Savage Sunday and as deputy editor for the Sunday Tribune newspaper. REGIONAL RADIO • Sinéad Hubble, producer for ‘Midlands Today’ on Midland’s 103 • Laura Donnelly, producer on ‘Kildare Today’ and ‘Kildare Focus’ on KFM • Norma Burke, producer, Molly in the Morning on Galway Bay FM • Caroline Orr, producer, Shaun Doherty Show, Highland Radio PITCHING TIP MORNING IRELAND - RTE RADIO 1 It is best practice to send press releases in the afternoon. The staff for Morning Ireland have a switchover in the afternoon and this is when most of the decisions regarding content are made. The day editor begins putting stories together at 1pm for the following day’s show. Reporting begins at 4pm. At 8pm, reporters, editors and the five presenters have a conference call. After this, stories are generally locked into the running order. 3 Features Focus Roisin Ingle, The Irish Times Roisin Ingle is a journalist for The Irish Times. She is the daily features editor, and contributes features, news and a weekly column in the Saturday magazine. Roisin hosts her own podcast series ‘Roisin Meets’ and produces the Irish Times ‘Women’s Podcast’. Fiona Ness, The Irish Independent Fiona Ness is head of features and magazines for the Irish Independent. She is the former editor of The Magazine at the Sunday Business Post. She worked at the newspaper for 19 years, first as a sub editor, then as news editor before being appointed magazine editor. Maria Moynihan, Irish Country Living Maria Moynihan is Features Editor with Irish Country Living and has worked with the Irish Farmers Journal since 2005. She previously worked with The Kerryman. In 2015 she won Journalist of the Year from the Irish Magazine Awards for her contributions and columns for Irish Country Magazine. PITCHING TIP Maria is constantly on the look-out for inspiring stories from rural Ireland - be it business, food, fashion, travel or family issues. FOOD FOR THOUGHT Pól Ó Conghaile Travel writer and food critic,Pól contributes to National Geographic Traveller, The Irish Independent, Cara and The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk, among others. He was the restaurant critic for the Irish Examiner between 2012 and 2014. He is the author of ‘Secret Dublin’, features widely on radio and TV, and has been Irish Travel Writer of the Year three times. Catherine Cleary An award-winning journalist. She began her career as a news reporter with The Irish Times and became the paper’s drugs and crime correspondent. She later joined the Sunday Tribune as its security correspondent. She now writes a weekly restaurant column for The Irish Times. 4 A Summer of Sport Ensure all your sports lists are up-to-date this summer. Boxing Johnny Watterson is a sports writer for the Irish Times. He specialises in boxing, tennis and hockey coverage. Mark Gallagher, is currently one of the Irish Mail sports correspondents. He covers a number of sports, including gaa, cricket, boxing and other Olympic sports. Andy Watters is a sports reporter for the Irish News. Andy covers boxing, GAA and soccer. Golf • John O’Sullivan, The Irish Times • Denis Kirwan , the Irish Daily Star • Philip Reid , The Irish Times • Brian Keogh, Freelance Athletics Since 1988 Greg Allen has worked extensive- ly in the coverage of athletics and golf, both national and international, for RTE Sport. Ian O’Riordan is the athletic correspondent for the Irish Times. Malcolm McCausland is a sports columnist with the Irish News. He is also an athletics coach and regular contributor to Athletics Weekly and the Irish Runner. Cycling Shane Stokes is a cycling correspondent with The Irish Times. PITCH-WORTHY PODCASTS Team 33 Joe Coffey, Raf Diallo and Richard Chambers present ‘Team 33’, Newstalk’s Football Magazine Show. New podcasts are available every Tuesday. Off the Ball Ireland’s only nightly sports radio show, the multi-award winning Off The Ball, a pro- gramme for sports fans by sports fans. The show airs weeknights from 7-10PM, Satur- days 1-6PM, Sundays 12-6PM on Newstalk. Second Captains Sunday RTE has also that the Second Captains team can again be found on RTÉ Radio 1 from July 10 with a new series called Second Captains Sunday. The show will see a slight change from the usual sport analysis as they will examine popular culture, current affairs and topical stories from the week 5 Media on the Move PITCHING TIPS Shaking things up at Newstalk The Last Word with Matt Cooper Changes all round for Newstalk as it revealed The team have regular production its autumn schedule this morning and welcomed meetings at 11.30 each day. They accept press releases by email at four new full time presenters. any time. When pitching by phone it’s best TV3’s Colette Fitzpatrick, INM’s Paul Williams, to ring at about 12.30. Rugby Star Alan Quinlan and Sarah McInerney, Political Correspondent with the Sunday Times Newstalk Breakfast The team behind the show typically meets all join the Newstalk team. twice a day, at 11.30am and 3.30pm. Newstalk’s political Editor Shane Coleman will The optimal time to pitch stories is be- tween 10am and 11am. be joined by Colette Fitzpatrick, Paul Williams If the story is more pressing then it is best and Alan Quinlan to anchor the station’s new practice to call at 5pm. Breakfast Show. Newstalk Lunchtime Current Breakfast presenter Chris Donoghue The team meets for a production meet- will now co-anchor a new Drive show, with Sarah ing every day at 8.40 am. The best time to pitch is early morning. McInerney. Pat Kenny will host a longer show from 9-12 with George Hook signing up for the lunchtime beat. DID YOU MISS THESE RECENT MEDIA MOVES? • Mary Mullins is a news journalist and the presenter of In Business at Radio Kerry. • Prior to this Mary spent two years as news editor with Shannonside FM and was also a journalist with Radio Kerry. • Kevin McGillicuddy is now news editor at Shannonside FM. He has previously worked as a writer for SportsJOE.ie. • Lisa McLoughlin is now the former deputy editor of Goss.ie. She is moving to London to pursue her career. • Caroline Clarke has left her role as producer with Newstalk’s Moncrieff. She has moved to 2fm. 6.