The Rural Press Club of Victoria has saluted some of the state’s best journalists and news photographers during its prestigious annual awards in Bendigo.
South-west Victorian news publication the Warrnambool Standard won Media Outlet of the Year at the 2024 Rural and Regional Journalism and Photography Awards.
Central Victorian photographer Lachlan Bence from the Ballarat Courier was crowned Photographer of the Year, while Allan Murphy from the Sunraysia Daily in Mildura was awarded Journalist of the Year.
ABC journalist Natasha Schapova, who previously worked for ABC Gippsland in Sale before moving to ABC Geelong, was named the Ray Frawley Young Journalist of the Year.
The club received 281 award entries from 109 journalists and 20 photographers across 68 media outlets in Victoria and Tasmania for the 2024 awards.
The winning entries covered everything from primary production to regional health care, natural disasters to fatal accidents.
Three new categories were added to the 2024 awards line-up following an independent review in 2024, which set out to modernise the existing awards and ensure shifting newsroom trends were reflected across the 16 categories.
The three new categories included Most Innovative Journalism, Best Breaking News Story, and Community Champion.
More than 115 people attended the Bendigo Town Hall event emceed by ABC Statewide Drive radio host Prue Bentley.
About 120 people attended the event at the Bendigo Town Hall.
Major announcements
The RPCV committee used the awards night to make two major announcements, including the official launch of the Member Hub.
“In our ongoing efforts to support and strengthen rural and regional journalism, the club hopes the Member Hub will provide useful information and advice for young and senior reporters alike – from those hoping to kickstart their careers to the reporters wanting to sharpen their skills,” RPCV president Bryce Eishold said.
The second major announcement revealed a commitment by the committee to sponsor a journalist or photographer who lives and works in rural or regional Victoria by sending them on an international study experience in 2025-26.
“The trip will be an incredible professional development opportunity and aims to benefit rural and regional media,” Mr Eishold said.
“Applicants must be a member of the club to be eligible to apply for this opportunity, which will be open to everyone from first-year cadets through to experienced journalists and newsroom leaders.
“I can’t say too much more about this at the moment, but it will be worth several thousand dollars.”
Media Outlet of the Year – sponsored by Powercor: Warrnambool Standard
The Warrnambool Standard showed dogged, community-minded journalism across a wide range of issues in 2023-24.
“Clearly the Warrnambool Standard team knows its community and its reporting achieves outcomes for its residents by breaking and following through on local news,” the judges said.
“There were plenty of significant issues in Victoria’s south-west and The Standard continues a long tradition of oversight of local and state government issues and their impact.”
Warrnambool Standard editor Greg Best accepted the award on behalf of the ACM publication.
Journalist of the Year – sponsored by 89 Degrees East: Allan Murphy, Sunraysia Daily
Sunraysia Daily journalist Allan Murphy was named Journalist of the Year, pictured with sponsor, 89 Degrees East associate director Julia Balderstone.
Against a backdrop of the loss of multiple staff members – including a longstanding editor – and increasingly stretched resources, Allan Murphy not only broke compelling front-page stories but crafted emotive features to sit alongside them.
His feature writing was compassionate, descriptive and helped readers gain valuable insights into the full story.
“Allan provided a window for his readers into his interview subjects’ struggles and pain,” the judges said.
“It’s clear Allan worked extremely hard to gain the trust of the people he spoke to, and who revealed so much to him as a result.”
Ray Frawley Young Journalist of the Year: Natasha Schapova, ABC Gippsland and now at ABC Geelong
Natasha Schapova submitted three outstanding, well-crafted stories, which showcase her versatility and ability to take local issues to state and national audiences.
Her reporting also triggered important change.
“Natasha’s story about the state government applying land tax to a granny flat that an East Gippsland woman built in her backyard for her elderly mother, led to a review and the tax bill being cancelled,” the judges said.
Natasha accepted the award via video link from Europe.
Photographer of the Year sponsored by Agriculture Victoria: Lachlan Bence, Ballarat Courier
Ballarat Courier photographer Lachlan Bence was crowned Photographer of the Year sponsored by Agriculture Victoria.
Lachlan Bence pulled two fine photographs in his coverage of Samantha Murphy’s disappearance.
His local knowledge allowed him to be on the ground for much of the local search, where he captured a police officer’s act of physically picking up the phone giving the audience an intimate insight into the police hunt for the victim.
He also captured the emotional response of Samantha’s daughter during a press conference.
“During the bushfire season Lachlan not only captured the stress and anguish faced by residents in Beaufort through his portrait photography, but was also close to the action producing exemplary bushfire news images,” the judges said.
Community Champion – sponsored by the Transport Accident Commission: Darren Chaitman, Euroa Gazette
Euroa Gazette journalist Darren Chaitman was named the inaugural Community Champion sponsored by the Transport Accident Commission.
As the only full-time journalist at the Euroa Gazette, Darren Chaitman has made a positive impact on a range of grassroots issues for his local community.
The body of work he presented included stories that forced the speed limit to be lowered on a dangerous fatal road blackspot and his reporting also helped rescue a threatened community event.
“Darren’s in-depth reporting also helped Gazette readers understand the dysfunction within Strathbogie Shire Council and the reason it was suspended,” the judges said.
Darren was the inaugural recipient of the Community Champion award.
Full List of Winners
Media Outlet of the Year – sponsored by Powercor
- Winner: Warrnambool Standard
- Highly Commended: Ballarat Courier
- Commended: The Weekly Advertiser, ABC Gippsland, Loddon Herald
Journalist of the Year – sponsored by 89 Degrees East
- Winner: Allan Murphy, Sunraysia Daily
- Highly Commended: Lexie Jeuniewic, ABC Ballarat, Chris Earl, Loddon Herald
- Commended: Benjamin Silvester, ACM, Else Kennedy, ABC Mildura-Swan Hill
Photographer of the Year – sponsored by Agriculture Victoria
- Winner: Lachlan Bence, Ballarat Courier
- Highly Commended: Kate Healy, Ballarat Courier
- Commended: Darren Howe, Bendigo Advertiser, Michael Currie, The Times Group, Angus Mackintosh, ABC Wimmera
Ray Frawley Young Journalist of the Year
- Winner: Natasha Schapova, ABC Gippsland and now at ABC Geelong
- Highly Commended: Hannah Kennelly, Mansfield Courier, now at The Age
- Commended: Nicholas Duck, Warragul and Drouin Gazette, Faith Tabalujan, ABC Rural, Tamara Clark, ABC Mildura
Community Champion – sponsored by the Transport Accident Commission
- Winner: Darren Chaitman, Euroa Gazette
- Highly Commended: Emma Ballingall, Warragul and Drouin Gazette
- Commended: Emma Oliver, Mansfield Courier, Chelsea Bunting, Geelong Advertiser, Chris Earl, Loddon Herald, Rachael Lucas, ABC Gippsland
Best Local Photography – Sponsored by Commonwealth Bank
- Winner: Darren Howe, Bendigo Advertiser, “Sweet Victory”
- Highly Commended: Rachel Simmonds, Stock & Land, “Cattle line”
- Commended: Darren Howe, Bendigo Advertiser, “The Coldest Day”, Anne Simmons, ABC Gippsland, “Admiring the organ chamber”, Adam Trafford, Ballarat Courier, “Smoke SIilhouette”
Best News Photography – sponsored by City of Greater Bendigo
- Winner: Nicole Cleary, The Age, “All the lambs are dying
- Highly Commended: Lachlan Bence, Ballarat Courier, “The February Bushfires”
- Commended: Darren Howe, Bendigo Advertiser, “Fatal crash”, Adam Trafford, Ballarat Courier, “Light beams”, Kate Healy, Ballarat Courier, “Firing Line”
Best Breaking News Story – sponsored by Coles
- Winner: Gabrielle Hodson, Ballarat Courier, 10 hit, 5 dead, 1 diabetic driver
- Highly Commended: Adam Spencer and Lachlan Bence, Ballarat Courier, “Phone taken for forensic testing in targeted search for Samantha Murphy”
- Commended: Bec Symons, ABC Gippsland, “Familiar faces as a community grasps with fires and floods”, Jane McNaughton, Victorian Country Hour, “Avian Influenza”, Chris Earl, Loddon Herald, “Summer Storms”
Most Innovative Journalism – sponsored by Porter Novelli
- Winner: Mim Hook, ABC Gippsland, “Where is Marcia Ryan?
- Highly Commended: Jeremy Story Carter, ABC, “Kick in Hope”
- Commended: Emily Waite, North Central Review, “Editor’s note”, Natasha Schapova and Rachel Clayton, ABC News, “Artificial Reefs Slowing Erosion”, and Elizabeth Hallam, Hamilton Spectator, “Health service merger not ruled out”
Best Sports Story – sponsored by Marcus Oldham
- Winner: Chris Earl, Loddon Herald, “Summer fizzler”
- Highly Commended: Nicholas Duck, Warragul and Drouin Gazette, “Cooper’s road to recovery”
- Commended: Jeremy Story Carter, ABC, “Wahgunyah, undefeated”, Harrison Tippet, ABC Geelong, “Ability City: Inclusive sport providing opportunities for participants and community in one of Australia’s fastest-growing regions”, Tim Lee, Landline, ABC, “Kicking new goals”
Best Feature Story – Sponsored by Stock & Land
- Winner: Josie Taylor, Emma D’Agostino and Danielle Bonica, ABC Central Victoria, “A fine balance”
- Highly Commended: Chad Van Estrop, Geelong Advertiser, “Road to redemption”
- Commended: Rachael Lucas, ABC Gippsland, “Single older women living in converted tiny homes, cabins at caravan parks amid housing crisis”, Rochelle Kirkham, ABC Ballarat, “Guardian angels”, Sue Smethurst, The Australian Weekend Magazine, “Call of the wild”
Best News Story – Visual – sponsored by the Australian Seed Potato Industry Certification Authority
- Winner: Harrison Tippet, ABC Geelong, “Historic Decision”
- Highly Commended: Shannon Schubert, ABC Central Victoria, Rochester Flood Anniversary
- Commended: Charmaine Manuel and Ashlee Aldridge, ABC News, “Mansfield’s fight to save its local hospital”, Natasha Schapova, ABC Gippsland, “3G Shutdown threatens remote communities”, Bec Symons, ABC Gippsland, “Briagolong Fires Ravages”
Best News Story – Audio – sponsored by The Weekly Times
- Winner: Mim Hook, ABC Gippsland, “Floods and fires in the same week”
- Highly Commended: Georgia Lenton-Williams, ABC Gippsland (RN Breakfast), “Mushroom meal cook charged over suspected poisoning deaths”
- Commended: Daniel Miles, ABC News, Safe Coalition seat gets behind the voice
Best News Story – Written – sponsored by Currie Communications
- Winner: Benjamin Silvester, ACM, “‘I’m suffering like hell’: state hospitals miss 100,000 elective surgeries”
- Highly Commended: Jacob Traynor, Colac Herald, “Fake Patients”
- Commended: Allan Murphy, Sunraysia Daily, “At Peace, At Last”, Mark Murray, The Geelong Advertiser, “Newtown house of horror exposed”, Else Kennedy and Francesco Salvo, ABC Rural, “Radiation fears, contentious business practices at the heart of proposed mineral sands mine hearing”
Best Agribusiness Story – sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions
- Winner: Madeleine Stuchbery, The Weekly Times, Agriculture’s problem with women: an investigation
- Highly Commended: Jane McNaughton, ABC Victorian Country Hour, “Avian influenza”
- Commended: Sue Neals, The Weekly Times, “Hats Off: PSP reveals its vast Aussie ag investment”, Sue Smethurst, The Weekly Times, “The Green Wedge”, Meg Powell, ABC Tasmania, “Virtual fencing and the collar debate”
Best On-Farm Story – sponsored by Rural Bank
- Winner: Carlene Dowie, The Australian Dairyfarmer, “Virtual fencing: Dairy’s next big leap”
- Highly Commended: Sue Neales Ag Journal/The Weekly Times, “Island King: Tim Roberts Thomson’s Tassie empire”
- Commended: Faith Tabalujan, ABC Rural, “Elderberry pioneers”, Fiona Sheean, The Weekly Times, “Raising profits: The secret’s in the soil”, Fiona Myers, The Weekly Times, “Cashing in on water wisdom”
