Ireland

How It Started

The mental health journalism fellowships program was founded in 1996 by former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, aiming to give journalists around the world the resources they need to report on mental health, one of the world’s most underreported health issues. In 2023, The Carter Center partnered with Headline, a national media program focused on mental health in Ireland, to offer the fellowship to Irish media.

Our Work and Methods

• In 2023, journalists Órla Ryan of The Journal and Shauna Bowers of The Irish Times were selected for the highly competitive fellowship.
• As part of the program, journalists travel to Atlanta to receive training and guidance on projects from experts and other fellows.

Impacts

• With the support of The Carter Center and Headline, journalists have the resources to report on mental and behavioral health issues to help dismantle—through storytelling—the stigma that millions of people face every day.
• Ryan’s work focuses on the lack of services impacting teens with schizophrenia in Ireland, while Bowers examines the prevalence and impact of mental health issues in the country’s criminal justice system.

Through its groundbreaking Inform Women, Transform Lives campaign, The Carter Center partners with city leaders worldwide to raise awareness about women’s right to access information and to help cities reach women with valuable information and essential municipal services. 

Access to this information empowers women with a stronger voice, enabling them to participate in public life, utilize public services, and make more informed decisions for themselves, their families, and their communities. In Ireland, the project has partnered with the city of Dublin.