An Focal Wins Second Award This Year

posted 22nd Apr

An Focal has wom The People’s Choice Award at the National Student Media Awards (Smedias). This is the publication’s second award this academic year (2010/11)

The announcement was made on Wednesday, Week 11 during the annual Smedias ceremony at the Mansion House, on Dawson St, where 117 nominees were up for 32 media award categories. The event was attended by around 700 guests and was presented by Kathryn Thomas and Dathí O’Sé.

An Focal has now won the award three times, picking it up in 2005/06 (Editor, Anne Sheridan) and last year (Editor, Aoife NiRaghallaigh).

12 people attended from the University of Limerick. The delegation included UL Student David Prendergast (nominee best Sports Writer of the Year), UL Student Ruari Moore (nominee Film Script of the Year), UL Student and SU Communications Officer, Finn McDuffie (nominee Editor of the Year, Website of the Year, The People’s Choice Award, Small College Publication of the Year). UL Student Jason Kennedy (nominee Blogger of the Year) is currently studying abroad in Newfoundland and was represented by his sister, Sandra Kennedy and her fiancé. An Focal’s editorial team was also present.

An Focal, which was revamped this year, won The People’s Choice as a result of online votes cast by members of the public.

Other nominees for the award included The College Tribune (UCD) and The Trinity Miscellany (TCD) and Icarus (TCD).

The event was organised by Oxygen Media and the People’s Choice award was sponsored by Bus Eireann.

An Focal is produced fortnightly by ULSU, by students, for students. It is distributed on the University of Limerick Campus. It has been running since 1992.

View the latest issue by clicking here.

People Involved:

The Editorial Team is made of up a group of very dedicated students, who voluntarily contribute their time and effort into making An Focal an inviting and vibrant newspaper for the UL community to read. The team is divided into a number of sectional Editors who coordinate, select, edit and refine voluntary student contributions from a pool of student writers and budding journalists.

Team: Darragh Roche, Deputy Editor; Com Fitzgerald, News Editor; Kelly O’Brien, Features Editor; Mark Connolly, Sports Editor and Caitriona NiChadhain, Entertainments Editor, Clubs and Societies Editor, Róisín Peddle.

Layout and Design: Cassandra Fanara, Impression Print and Design Ltd.

The TV3 Vincent Media Award:

An Focal also picked up the TV3 Student Newspaper of the Year Award in December.

The Revamp:

This year, the newspaper was revamped. The paper format was changed to Berliner (aka Metro) size, the paper is whiter and the entire publication is printed in colour. Furthermore, the layout and design provides more white space, larger images, classic fonts and subtle gutter lines giving the newspaper a clean and consistent look which is simple and inviting.