Highlands and Islands journalism achievement award honour for former BBC and MFR figure
Former BBC and MFR journalist Jackie O’Brien will receive this year’s Barron Trophy, recognising outstanding journalism achievements in the Highlands and Islands.
Jackie will be presented with the prestigious award at the annual Highlands and Islands Press Ball and Media Awards next month.
She becomes the latest leading journalist to win the coveted trophy, which was donated by The Inverness Courier’s editor Evan Barron in 1950 and has been awarded to many well known figures down the years.
Jackie began her career at MFR in 1988 as a trainee in the newsroom under Mike Hurry's watchful eye. She moved to BBC Radio Highland in the early 1990s, where she went on to become a senior broadcast journalist and a key member of the national news team at BBC Scotland for 30 years.
Jackie covered the Highlands and Islands for the station’s flagship Reporting Scotland television news programme and radio news outlets such as Good Morning Scotland.
She has reported on most of the main events and issues affecting a patch the size of Belgium. From the high-profile murders of Renee Macrae and Alasdair Wilson to the challenges of the weather, transportation links, employment and Covid in rural communities, Jackie was regularly seen in our screens, looking windswept and exposed to the elements, reporting from the midst of the area’s mountains covering rescues, skiing and investigating the plight of some of Scotland’s most endangered species.
She loves the great outdoors and is a keen skier, cyclist, and walker. Thanks to her knowledge of rural affairs, she’s been able to enjoy it professionally while reporting on the intricacies of land reform, farming, fishing, renewable energy, tourism, and, of course, the Loch Ness Monster!
Jackie said: “I am humbled and honoured to receive this prestigious award. To be recognised for a career that has been so deeply tied to the Highlands is incredibly special.
“Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of telling the stories of this remarkable region and its people, and I am grateful for the opportunities I’ve had along the way. This award is a reflection not just of my work but of the support and collaboration of so many talented individuals I've worked with throughout my career. It’s an honour I will always cherish."
Nicola McAlley, chairman of the Highlands and Islands Media Awards judging panel, added: “Jackie’s remarkable career, spanning nearly four decades in the Highlands, is a testament to her unwavering dedication, passion, and resilience.
“Her work has shaped the media landscape in our region, and she is, without a doubt, a most worthy recipient of our prestigious trophy. It is with great admiration that we celebrate her extraordinary contributions to journalism in the Highlands and Islands."
Jackie is currently a communications officer with Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) at the Rural and Veterinary Innovation Centre in Inverness.
This year’s Highlands and Islands Media Awards ceremony will be held at the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness, on Friday, February 7.
