Journalism Faculty Profiles
Janice Gaffey – Head of Media & Journalism Faculty
Janice Gaffey has lectured in journalism and media studies for seven years. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Communications (Journalism) from Dublin Institute of Technology, graduating with First Class Honours as Student of the Year in 2002.
She was granted a research scholarship from the School of Media in DIT, completing an MPhil by research in 2004. This project investigated 20 years of HIV/AIDS coverage in Irish media. She worked as a teaching assistant in the School of Media in DIT, and has lectured in journalism, media and cultural studies at DBS, where she also headed the BA in Journalism from 2006-2008.
In 2005, Janice worked as educational resource director at Mahapola Bhikku Educational Institute in Kandy, Sri Lanka. She is the author of “Witnessing the Pandemic: Irish Print Media and HIV/AIDS in Ireland and sub-Saharan Africa” and facilitates sessions on HIV/AIDS and the media for SUAS.
Her research interests are varied and include the political economy of global health reporting and women’s roles in journalism, which is her doctoral research area. She also has a strong interest in the impact of new media technologies, and in 2008, she completed the Irish media analysis section of an EU-wide project on children and the Internet.
Her current research papers include a cross-European comparative analysis of journalism pedagogy, and a study on the impact of new technologies on journalism education. She is working on her second non-fiction book. Janice is the Course Director for the BA (Hons) and MA in Journalism, and she lectures in Journalism in Context; Irish Media; and Global and Conflict Journalism at Independent College.
Robert Brown
Robert Brown has a distinguished record in journalism practice, having held senior editorial posts in London – where he was Media Editor of The Independent – and in his native Scotland. Rob also has extensive experience of reporting and commenting upon Irish affairs (north and south) for a range of UK publications and programmes. Robert has lectured in journalism at UK universities for almost a decade and was involved in validating journalism courses and staff selection at Dublin Institute of Technology. He has also taught Political Communication to Masters students from John Hopkins University in the US and been a visiting professor at the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai, India. He has contributed to academic publications on journalism in India and on the representation of journalism in popular culture. Robert lectures in News, Investigative, Feature and Magazine Journalism, and in Representation and Popular Culture at Independent College.
Mary Catherine Brouder
Mary Catherine Brouder - is a freelance journalist, specializing in documentary production. She was an adjunct professor at the Columbia University School of Journalism in New York City and worked on several documentaries for networks including CBS, PBS, Independent Film Channel (IFC) and MyLifetime.com before moving to Ireland in 2009.
Since then Mary Catherine has produced arts and culture multimedia stories for RTE.ie and IrishCentral.com. In 2010 she filmed, edited and co-produced a 6 part documentary series about Hungary’s Roma population for Mark Little’s website, Storyful.com.
Mary Catherine has a BA from Harvard University and an MS from Columbia University School of Journalism, where she specialized in broadcast journalism.
In 2007, she was awarded a fellowship by the Carnegie and Knight Foundations and produced multimedia religion stories for News 21. She also co-produced a documentary about undocumented Irish immigrants in the US called Exodus of the Irish which won a social justice award at Columbia.
While at Harvard, Mary Catherine wrote for publications in Boston and NYC including the Boston Pilot, Irish America Magazine, Irish Voice and Irish Emigrant. She also hosted and co-produced the BNN Cable TV network program, Ireland on the Move. Mary Catherine was also an arts editor at The Harvard Crimson. She lectures in Landmark Journalism, Culture & Criticism and Video Production at Independent College.
Henry McDonald
Henry McDonald is The Guardian’s Ireland Correspondent and brings his experience of operating on the new frontiers of journalism to the Faculty. Blogging, tweeting and podcasting are part of his everyday journalistic routine. Henry is a former correspondent with the BBC The Sunday Times, Evening Press, and Irish News and has extensive experience in print, radio and television journalism.
He is the author of seven books. Henry teaches Internet & Opinion Journalism at Independent College, addressing key issues and challenges faced by everyone entering or working in the media in the 21st century.
Lizzie Gore-Grimes
Lizzie Gore-Grimes has been working in magazine publishing for over 10 years. She began working on the launch of Condé Nast House & Garden magazine out in Cape Town. After six months in Cape Town she moved to London where she worked for Condé Nast for a further four years. In 2002 she returned to Ireland to spend three months at the Ballymaloe Cookhery School before becoming Deputy Editor on FOOD & WINE Magazine. During which time she also worked as the launch editor of Fresh Magazine for SuperValu and edited SQ Christmas Magazine, before taking the post to edit Cara magazine – the in-flight magazine for Aer Lingus.
Lizzie now works as a freelance editor and writer. She currently edits a luxury lifestyle magazine for The K Club and the annual Parenting supplement for Image magazine. She is a regular contributor to Cara magazine, Intermezzo, You & Your Money, Food & Wine, Irish Tatler, Irish Brides and the Georgina Campbell Guide books. She has recently completed the Dublin chapter for Thames and Hudson’s StyleCity Europe guide. She is an active member of The Irish Food Writer’s Guild.
Aoife Carrigy
Aoife Carrigy is a freelance journalist and editor specialising in food, wine, travel and the arts. Aoife has contributed to FOOD&WINE Magazine, The Irish Times, Sunday Business Post, The Evening Herald, Irish Tatler, Cara, Abroad, Exclusive, Village, Totally Dublin, The Dubliner and The Event Guide.
Since leaving her post as deputy editor at FOOD&WINE Magazine (January 2006 – September 2010), for whom she continues to write the monthly ‘Guinea Pig wine tasting’ and regular restaurant reviews, Aoife set up the food blog HolyMackerel.ie, which provides readers with regular industry news and foodie inspiration. She is an experienced public speaker, and currently chairs the bi-monthly food discussion forum, For Food’s Sake. She is also an experienced copy-editor, having cut her teeth in the book publishing industry with stints at Lilliput Press and Gill & MacMillan, and has worked as a freelance sub-editor for broadsheets, tabloids and lifestyle magazines.
Following on from her MA in Anglo-Irish Literature (and a BA in English Literature and Philosophy), Aoife has lectured across diverse topics, including literature, language and communications, and journalism. She teaches Ethics, Freelance Journalism and Food, Fashion & Travel Journalism at Independent College Dublin
James Kelly
James Kelly is a Dublin based independent filmmaker. A graduate of UCD and Katholieke Institute Leuven (Louvain), his work has screened nationally and internationally, and has been funded by, amongst others, TG4, RTE, BCI, the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board. James currently acts as Audience Advisor to the Arts Council, and was festival director of the Stranger Than Fiction Documentary Festival (Irish Film Institute) from 2007 to 2009.
In addition to his work in Independent Colleges, over the years he has lectured in UCD, IADT, Griffith College Dublin and the American College. James lectures in Video Production at Independent College Dublin.
Paula Mullooly
Paula is a Partner at Simon McAleese Solicitors.
She advises Irish and international clients on Media Law. Paula has acted in some of the most high-profile media litigation in this jurisdiction including the first Irish media law case to be brought before the European Court of Human Rights.
Paula was a Government appointed member of the Working Group on Defamation. The Group advised the Government on the Heads of a Defamation Bill to reform the Law of Defamation in Ireland. She is Chairman of the Censorship of Publications Appeals Board and a member of the Compliance Committee of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.
Margaret Ward
Margaret is a award-winning journalist, broadcaster, author and small business owner. She has worked in media in Ireland and the United States for more than 20 years, mainly specialising in financial journalism.
Margaret is known for combining humour with finance, markets and economics. Although she’s spent most of her career as a print journalist — The Irish Times’ business and personal finance columnist and The Sunday Times’ Money Editor — Margaret also presented a Newstalk radio show during the bailout period called Breakfast Business.
She is a regular contributor to TV3’s Tonight with Vincent Browne, RTE’s Frontline, PrimeTime, the Late Debate, Tubridy on 2FM, The History Show; Newstalk’s Breakfast, Lunchtime and Sean Moncrieff shows. Margaret is also a financial panellist at Kilkenomics (the comedy and economics festival), Leviathan with David McWilliams, Mindfield@ElectricPicnic and Ignite@ScienceGallery and the Dalkey Book Festival.
Margaret graduated with a Masters in Journalism from Dublin City University in 1998 and started working for The Irish Times. She was awarded a Law Society of Ireland Justice Media award for social and campaigning journalism for a series of investigative reports (1999) and an ICL Science and Technology journalism award (1998). She has written three non-fiction books. Margaret is managing director of Clear Ink, a clear English consultancy.
Margaret lectures in Financial Journalism (aka how to make boring stuff interesting) at Independent Colleges.
Gary FitzGerald
Gary FitzGerald was awarded the Antonia O’Callaghan prize for Constitutional Law in 2005. Gary lectures in EU Law & Politics in the Journalism Faculty at Independent Colleges. He is a practicing barrister and lectures on the College’s Preparatory Programmes for the Entrance Examinations to the Kings Inns and the Law Society of Ireland. Gary also lectures Business Law on the College’s ACCA programmes
Daire Whelan
Daire Whelan has been working in the Irish sports media for over a decade and has experience in all media from newspapers and TV to radio and online. Formerly senior producer on Off the Ball on Newstalk, he has also been a producer in RTE, Setanta Sports, and the independent TV sector, working on shows such as The Hub, Drivetime Sport, 20 Moments that Shook Irish Sport, and Sport Matters. He is a former Irish Times columnist and currently contributes to a wide range of Irish publications primarily on sports business and sporting culture and society. He is the author of two acclaimed sports books, ‘Who Stole Our Game? The Fall & Fall of Irish Soccer’ and, most recently, ‘A Year with the Dubs’. He is currently working on his third non-fiction book.
Daire holds a BA (Hons) in History from Trinity College Dublin and an MA in Journalism from Dublin City University. He lectures in Sports Journalism and in Ethics at Independent College.
Dr Jonathan Ilan
Jonathan Ilan is a lecturer at the University of Kent. He completed a Bachelor in Laws at Trinity College Dublin in 2002 and was awarded his PhD by Dublin Institute of Technology for his groundbreaking research into youth crime and justice, which involved observing both young offenders and Gardaí in the course of their everyday lives and interactions. He publishes both journalistically and academically and has taught in media law, ethics, criminology and research methods. Jonathan is a member of the MA dissertation advisory committee at Independent College.
Karen McManus
Karen McManus is a journalist with over ten years’ national newspaper experience. She has written news, politics and current affairs for titles including the Irish Independent and News of the World and features for a number of British magazines including Woman’s Own and Best. Karen is also a regular contributor to the Weekend magazine of the Irish Independent. She holds an MA in Journalism from Dublin City University. She is the author of None Shall Divide Us, the bestselling biography of loyalist paramilitary Michael Stone. Karen lectures in News Reporting and Feature Writing at Independent College.
Roger Brownlie
Roger Brownlie is a Scottish journalist with over 11 years experience editing consumer and business publications, including editing Practical Photography, The Drinks Business and Defence International.
In 2005 he set up editorial training company Perfect Bound, specifically to support the burgeoning Irish print media industry. As well as running Perfect Bound, he is currently a sub-editor on the Irish Daily Mail. Roger holds a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Science, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism. He lectures in News Reporting and Feature Writing at Independent College.
June Wright
With over 15 years as an Animation Film and Design Professional in Europe and the USA, June has been creatively involved in many feature films, TV productions and design projects from leading studios such as 20th Century Fox, MGM Studios, Don Bluth Studios and Warner Bros. She holds a Diploma of Applied Arts from Sheridan College of Applied Arts, Toronto, and a Diploma in Animation Film Production from The Irish School of Animation, Dublin.
Following her recent return to Ireland, June continues to work from her Dublin-based studio for both local and international clients. She uses traditional and digital forms of media in the creative areas of Animation, Illustration, Design and Web Design. With her vast professional experience in these areas, June lectures in Layout & Design and Web Production at Independent College.
JJ Harrington
A graduate of Trinity College Dublin (English Literature) and the Dublin Institute of Technology (Film Theory and Production), JJ has lectured in Film, Media Studies, Journalism and Creative Writing. She is a produced screenwriter, with projects having received awards from, and been produced by, RTÉ, The Irish Film Board, and FilmBase. JJ is a former recipient of a Tyrone Guthrie Centre Bursary for the completion of her writing projects, and in addition to her own ongoing writing projects, has worked as a writer for hire and script editor on screenplays and theatrical scripts. JJ lectures in Landmark Journalism and Screenwriting at Independent College.
Dr Colum McCaffery
Dr Colum McCaffery holds a PhD in Politics from University College Dublin. He lectures in Irish and International Politics at Independent College Dublin.
Mary Brennan
Mary Brennan holds a Teaching Diploma in Pitman Shorthand from the Dept of Education. She also has Diplomas in Word Processing and Information Technology. She has taught at Pitman College, Dublin and at LSB in Dublin on Diploma and Degree programmes. She has worked with the Irish Times Training Department, and has also taught VEC and FAS training courses at various centers. Mary lectures in Shorthand at Independent College.
Dr Mark Wherly
Mark Wehrly holds a PhD from the National University of Ireland, and has worked as a freelance sub-editor and writer since 2000 for the Irish Independent, Irish Examiner, Irish Mail on Sunday, Irish Sun, Belfast Telegraph, Irish Daily Star, and The Irish Times. He has also extensive experience in local newspapers and radio in Sligo, Mayo, Roscommon and Kildare. Although he also has extensive experience as a news reporter, his favourite areas of journalism to work in are the arts and sport.
Mark’s research interests centre on the history of the Irish media and contemporary Irish media environment, especially the press. He has previously lectured in history at NUI Maynooth and Champlain College, Dublin. Mark lectures in Arts and Opinion Journalism in Independent College.
Thomas McGraw Lewis
Thomas McGraw Lewis is the Graduate School of Creative Arts and Media research scholar with Dublin Institute of Technology. He has previously lectured in film and media history and theory at the National College of Art and Design and in media, journalism and cultural studies at Dublin Business School.
Having attended North Carolina School of the Arts, School of Filmmaking where he majored in production design, he also holds a BA in Film Theory (EMU, USA) and a MA in Film Studies (UCD). His
background lies primarily in film production, theory, reception study and archiviliastion. Along the way he has worked in ethnomusicology; new and antiquarian bookselling; studio photography, magazine layout; radio programming and the odd, bad punk band. He is presently engaged in a PhD centred around the employ and dissemination of audio/visual archives in cultural production and promotion. Thomas lectures in Culture and Criticism, Research Methods and Culture of Journalism and Media at Independent College.
Matt Leigh
Matt Leigh has worked in Television Production for the last decade. In that time he has firmly established himself as a Director-Cameraman working with the Irish National Broadcaster, RTE, and a selection of Ireland’s most renowned independent production companies. He has also spent time working in the USA and Canada, most recently for the Canadian division of Alliance Atlantis.
Matt has directed some of Ireland’s best-loved and highest rated observational documentary, nature, sporting and lifestyle series. He has worked on a range of projects, from documenting the trials of Irish farming families as they make new lives in rural America, Milking the USA, to undercover work tracking cocaine smugglers with the customs drug squad for Primetime Investigates.
Matt graduated from Dun Laoghire College of Art and Design with a Higher Diploma in Fine Art in 1996 and completed the City & Guilds Certificate in TV Production in 1998. He lectures in Video Production at Independent College.
