A FILM documentary which investigated the Loughinisland massacre has won an award at a ceremony recognising Northern Ireland programming.
No Stone Unturned won the 'current affairs' category at the Royal Television Society Northern Ireland (RTS NI) awards held last night at The Mac in Belfast.
It examined claims of state collusion in the UVF murders of six men in 1994 at the Heights Bar in Loughinisland, Co Down, and broke new ground by publicly naming what it said were suspects.
No Stone Unturned, released late last year, was produced by investigative journalists Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney.
It made headlines in recent months after police arrested the journalists in a probe into the suspected theft of Police Ombudsman documents linked to the Loughinisland massacre.
Mr McCaffrey has branded it an "attack on the press", but police have defended their actions.
There has also been a dispute over whether the ombudsman's office made a complaint to police that prompted the arrests.
It said it briefed police that the film appeared to use extracts from a Police Ombudsman document, but "did not make a complaint of theft".
But Durham Constabulary, which was asked by the PSNI to conduct the investigation, has maintained that the ombudsman's office did report a theft to police.
Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil TDs have expressed concern over the police probe.
Jim O'Callaghan, the party's justice spokesperson, said that given the conflicting accounts, "it's clear that there are important questions that require answers".
Brendan Smith said: "The freedom of the press protects and upholds a strong democracy and promotes transparency. It is in all our interest to ensure that those standards are preserved".
Other winners at the RTS NI awards included Channel 4 show Derry Girls in the 'scripted comedy' category.
