Leona O'Neill
@LeonaONeill1
Head UG Journalism @UlsterUni. Journalist @BelTel @Irish_News, Field Producer @AJEnglish @VICENews etc. Author. Agent @MoylettLisa. Founder #MediaStrong Mum x 4
First leg of Bonfire Season over. Shone a light on how messed up a society we still are. Don’t come at me with your nonsense. If you’re so proud of your culture, you should be as annoyed as me some are tainting it with sectarianism and racism @irish_news irishnews.com/opinion/leona-…
The bile under this post is shocking. No one reads the piece, forms their opinion from the headline, lashes out. It is bonfire season, I know things are heated. But I AM TALKING ABOUT LOYALIST AND REPUBLICAN BONFIRES here. So don’t be silly, you know the ones I’m talking about
"We are not a healed society and never will be if these towers of division keep burning year on year" Read Leona O'Neill: tinyurl.com/5n8xsxp5
A very tough few days in NI with the heartbreaking, horrific news in Fermanagh. Thinking of those who love Vanessa, Sara and James and the emergency personnel who dealt with an unimaginable situation. And to journalists tasked with sharing this gut wrenching story, some advice
MHC @profsiobhanon statement regarding events in Maguiresbridge
A photograph by Félix Thiollier (c. 1899)—quite possibly my favourite photograph of all time
. @CNN @clarissaward at MediaStrong 2025: “I get death threats all the time, my children get death threats. It’s obviously deeply unpleasant when you add it to the intensity of the job that we’re doing already.” @pressgazette story on MediaStrong👇 pressgazette.co.uk/news/i-get-dea…
My MediaStrong Newsroom Mental Wellbeing Charter will be launched at Leinster House in Dublin in September. So many newsrooms have already signed up to the Charter. You can have a look at the Newsroom Charter and what MediaStrong is about here - sites.google.com/mediastrong.uk…
Thoughts and prayers are with the international sports journalists whose comments are rammed with Northern Irish folks arguing about why loyalist band culture is either brilliant or awful after posting something on last night’s #Portrush parade
The town of Portrush is hosting a band parade by pro-British Protestant loyalists that began as spectators were leaving the course Saturday evening. Sidewalks are jammed with people.
Even after 30 years, still have a good oul cry at the end of Braveheart
📸Specialist workshop opportunity for MENA photojournalists. 'Behind the Lens, Beyond the Conflict', aims to understand photographers’ field experiences and to provide participants with relevant psychoeducation and resilience strategies. The workshops will take place online…
Happy anniversary to the greatest photo ever taken that perfectly sums up the job of a journalist. You literally never know what the day will present. This French snapper got an angry shovel wielding pants man. I bet his wildest imagination could never have conjured that up.
Wise words here. I think something has shifted this 11th of July. Something needs done to build our community relations, which took a real hammering over the first leg of the bonfire season. Communities need leadership, not justification and excuses for racism and sectarianism.
🗣 The Irish News view "What kind of society allows a large bonfire to be lit on a site contaminated with asbestos, despite clear warnings about the potential dangers that children and families may be exposed to? What kind of society requires fire crews to hose down an…
Not built for this heat. Cannae cope. When is it going to rain?
Spent many years as a reporter at 11th night celebrations all over Northern Ireland. Many times with international news crews who were astonished and fascinated in equal measure by the culture that is normal to us. Am in my garden with a glass of something cold tonight instead
There are no words for this
The bonfire here in Moygashel now well alight. An effigy depicting a migrant crossing was torched first. Police say they are treating it as a hate crime @BelTel
‘Journalism is finally confronting its mental health crisis’ Great piece here from Jacob at @journalism on MediaStrong. Proud to work alongside such caring compassionate minds to better newsroom mental health 💪 journalism.co.uk/news/from-vuln…
Was great to ask Secretary of State for Culture, Media, Sport at Westminster what steps her Dept is taking to support journalism mental health services in UK. Thanks to @ClaireHanna for help on this. Looking forward to meeting Westminster officials now questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questi…
Well done to Paul and all of those on the ground tonight in Belfast trying to calm tensions, not raise them. It’s not an easy job. Hope everyone stays safe
On the ground tonight at Broadway. All quiet at the Royal site and Park Centre. It’s disappointing to see attempts continuing to build the bonfire in the Village area, despite clear warnings about the risks to public safety – including serious concerns around asbestos and the…
This is disgusting, on top of a bonfire in Moygashel, Co Tyrone. I can’t even fathom the thinking behind it, how anyone thought this was a good idea, how people will stand below and cheer this on when it’s lit, how this could be in any way considered culture
Met the amazing @clarissaward from @CNN this week in London. She came to speak at the MediaStrong conference on newsroom mental wellbeing. I’ve always admired her, she has nerves of steel, is a fearless, compassionate, determined reporter and a genuinely lovely human being
