Sponsored by Redstick Strategic Communications
Commended:
Hero label does not apply, Mandy Squires, Geelong Advertiser
The sober truth Kim Stephens, The Courier, Ballarat
Highly Commended:
Grampians aftermath, Katrina Weatherly, Western District Farmer (Hamilton Spectator supplement)
Winner:
It’s up to us, Kim Quinlan, The Courier, Ballarat
Judges’ comments: The almost 70 entries were all worthy contenders with a good mix of campaign stories, personality stories and stories that provided background and analysis of the news of the day. Features take a lot of time and reporters often have to fit features in around their daily news rounds and deadlines. The variety and depth reflected the passion and commitment of journalists in regional media.
Working with the local Citizen of the Year to launch a campaign against violence is a worthy task for a media outlet. Having that Citizen talk about their own long-term history of violence against woman is a show stopper. It’s a great compliment to the Courier that Tony Lovett trusted it to use his story to talk about the issue and not to simply demonise him for a sensational headline.
Sponsored by Telstra
Highly Commended:
Crisis at Wangaratta Council , David Johnston, The Border Mail
Aberfeldy Fire Day Five , Tom Kelly, Win Television
NBN Asbestos Crisis , Tom Cowie, Jordan Oliver, Gav McGrath and Pat Byrne, Ballarat Courier
Winner:
Raging Bull, Tammy Mills, The Border Mail
Judge’s comments: An impressive 59 entries from all over the state, covering everything from councils, crime and car crashes to footy, fires and Facebook….it’s a news list to make any chief of staff or news director salivate over.
Country Victoria knows full well the pain caused by drugs. But one reporter took it upon herself to investigate when police contacts told her of the deadly side-effects of the synthetic drug White Bull.
Brought across the counter at sex shops, it was considered legal but reporter Tammy Mills from the Border Mail decided to dig deeper and have the substance analysed.
The results were startling. The tests revealed that it contained a chemical known as MDVP, an illegal substance in the same legislative category as Ice. Her report, supported by her graphic interviews with users, led to White Bull being banned state-wide and contributed to the federal push to ban synthetic drugs.
Perhaps, most importantly of all, the story has almost certainly prevented more deaths.
Sponsored by the Victoria Farmers Federation
Highly commended:
Stock loss pain , Emma Field, The Weekly Times
Centre lives on …in Canada , Danielle Grindlay, Hamilton Spectator
Winner:
$42,000 to kill 23 goats , Emma Field, The Weekly Times
Judges’ comments: The classic news story is the blue ribbon 100-metre event of media reporting. As the category title suggests, it is about news. The story must provide the reader with new information, especially something that hasn’t been reported elsewhere. The importance of story is that it should be either front-page or lead a news bulletin. A good news story is one which some people or organisations would prefer not to be reported. Emma’s report on the high cost to cull feral goats in a national parks and the fact that culling contract was given to a New Zealand firm ticked all of these boxes.
Sponsored by Dairy Australia
Highly commended:
When great minds meat, James Wagstaff, The Weekly Times
Holm on the range , Fiona Myers, The Weekly Times
Winner:
Milk wars , Tim Lee, Ron Ekkel, James Fisher and Corina Scott, Landline
Judges’ comments: A highly informative and thoughtfully constructed account of dairy farmers who have diversified into producing, packaging and marketing their own branded milk as a value-adding strategy designed to ensure their on-going viability in an environment of diminishing farm gate prices. The interviews with new boutique-style branded milk producers are cleverly interwoven into a broader account of the current state of the industry and the challenges facing dairy farmers against the backdrop of heavy milk discounting by the supermarket chains.
Sponsored by Devondale
Highly commended
Natalee Ward and Travis Kennedy, FARM magazine
Laura Poole and Larissa Romensky, I spy a crocodile, ABC Rural
Winner:
Mark Bogue, Headline selection, The Weekly Times
Judges’ comments: If the selection of headlines that Weekly Times sub-editor Mark Bogue submitted for this year’s awards is any indication, the craft of headline writing is alive and well in rural journalism. The headlines – Barmah’s mane drag, Fluent in fowl language and When bush comes to shove – are clever and witty and succeed in encapsulating the essence of the stories they accompany. The skill in producing headlines of this standard in a short space of time can often be under-appreciated and this trio from Mark makes him a very worthy winner.
Sponsored by CBH Group
Highly Commended:
Crash Landing, Ray Sizer, Shepparton News
Siege at Benalla , Ray Sizer, Shepparton News
Winner:
Racial Slur , Dean Koopman, Hamilton Spectator
Judges’ comments: A simple but thought-provoking image that told its story well – the definition of good news photography. This image showed the impact – the isolation and loneliness – of a racist slur on a rural sportsperson and stood out to both judges immediately for its high news value.
Sponsored by the Transport Accident Commission
Highly Commended:
The Still Of The Night , Kate Healy, The Courier
Welcome Home, Mr Premier , Damian White,The Warrnambool Standard
Winner:
Captain Daffy , Rob Gunstone, The Warrnambool Standard
Judges’ comments: A good, fun image that captured the pleasure of the subject and Captain Daffy’s obvious authority and total control of the situation, combined with sound technical skill for a captivating result.
Sponsored by RACV
Winner:
Dean Koopman, Hamilton Spectator
Highly commended:
Alex Sinnott, WIN TV
Judges’ comments: Win TV’s Alex Sinnott also submitted an impressive body of work that highlighted his versatility as a television journalist. Of particular merit was his report on the south-west telephone exchange fire. The comprehensive package was filmed and written without the use of mobile phones or the internet and under considerable deadline pressure.
Winner:
Alex Sampson, Weekly Times
Judges’ comments: Alex has been a graded journalist for little over twelve months but her portfolio of work over that time has shown an excellence and maturity beyond her experience. She has tackled with considerable aplomb and determination some of the biggest issues facing rural and regional Victoria, including the controversial relocation of the Melbourne Markets from Footscray to Epping, the gradual demise of the canned fruit industry in Victoria and the aftermath of Black Saturday in affected communities.
Sponsored by RACV
Highly commended:
David Johnson, Border Mail
Judges’ comments: David Johnson is recognised for his work as the Border Mail’s local government reporter. David led the way in covering the upheaval at the Wangaratta Council with breaking news and analysis that was followed up by state authorities and the metropolitan media.
Winner:
Danny Lannen, Geelong Advertiser
Judges’ comments: Danny’s entry was a standout with a collection of news and feature stories showcasing his writing talents. All involved deeply personal accounts on issues ranging from refugee policy, forced adoptions to the impact of suicide on a prominent member of the Geelong community. All were handled with appropriate sensitivity and empathy, free of sensationalism.
Sponsored by the CFA
Finalists:
The Warrnambool Standard, The Border Mail, The Hamilton Spectator, The Ballarat Courier
Judges’ comments: It was more old-fashioned methods that helped the Warrnambool Standard made it stand out. While the south-west community was paralysed by the town’s telephone exchange fire, Standard staff showed a dogged determination to get the paper out, with phone-less reporters pounding the streets for information and subs driving USB sticks to Ballarat to set up a makeshift office at the Courier.
Like the Standard, the Border Mail and the Hamilton Spectator have also been recognised for their on-going commitment to their readership with campaigning journalism that has really made a difference.
The Courier, meanwhile, is leading the way with new technologies. Reporters and photographers file using Iphones and Ipads and are constantly learning new skills to update content as it happens.
Winner:
The Ballarat Courier
Judges’ comments: For so long the leading provider of news and information to the Ballarat region, the Courier has taken its coverage to new levels with its on-line and digital presence. Through its multi-media platforms, the paper has broken significant national stories such as the NBN roll-out asbestos scare, as well as providing comprehensive reporting on health issues and the summer bushfires that wreaked so much havoc
– RACV
– CBH Group
– Victorian Farmers Federation
– Transport Accident Commission
– Telstra
– Dairy Australia
– Redstick Strategic Communications
– CFA
– Devondale (Murray Goulburn)
