A DCU Communication Studies graduate has received one of Ireland’s most prestigious radio awards. Anne Marie Duffin achieved second place in the short feature section of this year’s PPI awards.
The gala awards ceremony took place in the Lyrath House Hotel, Kilkenny, on October 4th. Now in their 12th year, the PPI awards were established to promote excellence in the field of radio.
The program originated as a college assignment. “We had to conduct an interview for class”, explained Anne Marie. “It was mostly to show our lecturer at the time – Ronan Kelly from RTE – that we could use our equipment”.
Anne Marie had been working on shows on DCUfm since first year so she knew she had a pretty good handle on the technical side of things but she wanted to show that she could tell a story.
‘Mag’, tells the tale of a young woman living in Wexford in the 1990s who unknowingly falls pregnant.
“I had a brief idea of the story since I was a teenager – I don’t think there is a better contraceptive than telling your teenage daughter ‘you could be pregnant and never know’ – but it was completely different sitting down and asking her to tell it to me, recorder in hand, face to face”, explained Anne Marie.
“She spoke so openly it really allowed the listener to empathise with her on a personal level. I imagine this is the main reason RTE were interested in the piece.”
Asked how she feels about receiving the honour, Anne Marie says, “I think if anything it’s a testament to the power of storytelling and how everyone has an interesting story to tell, they just need the opportunity”.
“Most importantly as a graduate it shows me that there are still so many opportunities in the media for newcomers, you just need to work off your own initiative and find your own way in.”
Anne Marie currently co-presents ‘Needle Hits the Groove’ on RTÉ 2XM. She has just received funding from the BAI to make a documentary with Níall Carver, another Communications Studies graduate.
Sarah Curran
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