Award categories

Eligibility:  Open to all rural and regional, print, online and broadcast media platforms. Radio category includes podcasts. Television includes online videography.

Requirements:  Stories important to regional and rural Victoria and its communities published, uploaded or broadcast during the previous financial year.

Judging Criteria:  It will be judged according to its impact, urgency and presentation of facts. Judges will look at how the entrant made their story different to other media outlets, and how it communicated the importance of the news to its target audience.

Evidence:  A PDF of page where the article was published and/or web link to online audio or video files.

Please provide a 200 word supporting statement under “Entry Details” that outlines:

• how your entry came about
• how it is relevant to the category you are entering
• what it contributes to rural and regional journalism.

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Eligibility:  Open to all rural and regional, print, online and broadcast media platforms.

Requirements:  An in-depth exploration of an issue or personal profile relevant to rural or regional Victorian audiences. Published, uploaded or broadcast in the award year.

Judging criteria:  It will be judged on creativity, flair and research, and how it is communicated to its target audience. Entrants are able to submit one article from a multi-part series.

Evidence:  A PDF of page/s where the article was published or weblink to audio or video file.

Please provide a 200 word supporting statement under “Entry Details” that outlines:

• how your entry came about
• how it is relevant to the category you are entering
• what it contributes to rural and regional journalism.

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Eligibility: Open to all media platforms. 

Requirements: An on-farm story published, uploaded or broadcast during the award year.

This category is for practical farming stories that highlight innovative management or agronomic practices that promote improved productivity and profitability.

Judging Criteria: Encourages quality writing, presenting a comprehensive story analysing on-farm technologies, agronomic practices and management – with potential interest to and impact on agriculturalists.

Evidence: A PDF of the page where the article was published or web link to audio or video file.

Please include a 200 word supporting statement under “Entry Details” that outlines:

• how your entry came about
• how it is relevant to the category you are entering
• what it contributes to rural and regional journalism.

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Eligibility:  Open to all rural, regional and metropolitan print, online and broadcast media. 

Requirements:  The best agribusiness story (news or feature) impacting on rural or regional Victoria, published, uploaded or broadcast during the previous financial year.

Judging Criteria:  It will be judged according to its impact and presentation of facts, and how the subject affects rural or regional Victoria. Judges will look at how the entrant made their story different to other media outlets, and how it communicated the importance of the news to its target audience.

Evidence Required:  A PDF of the page where the article was published and/or web link to online audio or video files.

Please provide a 200 word supporting statement under “Entry Details” that outlines:

• how your entry came about
• how it is relevant to the category you are entering
• what it contributes to rural and regional journalism.

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Eligibility:  Open to all rural, regional and metropolitan print, online and broadcast media. 

Requirements:  The best sports story (news or feature) based in rural or regional Victoria, uploaded or broadcast in the previous financial year.

Judging Criteria:  It will be judged on creativity, flair and research, taking into account the drama, colour and personality of the subject or event.

Evidence required: A PDF of the page where the article was published or a web link to online audio or video files.

Please provide a 200 word supporting statement to be included under “Entry Details” that outlines:

• how your entry came about
• how it is relevant to the category you are entering
• what it contributes to rural and regional journalism.
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Requirements: Photographs that capture rural or regional news published or uploaded in the award year.

Judging Criteria:  Entries will be judged on the news value of the photograph and its ability to tell a story in relation to the news event, as well as image impact and technicality; and the technical skill of the photographer.

Evidence:

• A PDF of page where the photograph was published and/or web link to webpage.
• A JPG of the image (max. 2000 pixels wide and under 1MB file size).

Please provide a 200 word supporting statement to be included under “Entry Details” that outlines:

• how your entry came about
• how it is relevant to the category you are entering
• what it contributes to rural and regional journalism.

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Eligibility:  Open to all media platforms.

Requirements: Photographs that capture rural or regional life published or uploaded during the award year.

Judging Criteria:  Entries will be judged on the ability of the photograph to capture rural and regional life, to tell a story and to explore issues, as well as image impact and technicality; and the technical skill of the photographer. Judges will take into account the drama, colour and personality of the imagery.

Evidence:

• A PDF of the page where the photograph was published and/or web link to webpage.
• A JPG of the image.

Please provide a 200 word supporting statement under “Entry Details” that outlines:

• how your entry came about
• how it is relevant to the category you are entering
• what it contributes to rural and regional journalism.

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Requirements:  Photograph that captures sport’s importance to rural and regional communities, published during the award year.

Judging Criteria:  Entries will be judged on the ability of the photograph or video to capture not just a great sporting feat, but its relationship with the local community, as well as the technical skill of the photographer.

Evidence:  A PDF of the page where the photograph was published or hyperlink to webpage and a JPG of the image.

Please provide a 200 word supporting statement under “Entry Details” that outlines:

• how your entry came about
• how it is relevant to the category you are entering
• what it contributes to rural and regional journalism.

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* Please note: Photography now includes video vision

Eligibility:  To qualify for this award, entrants must enter a photo in each of the best sport, best general interest and best news photograph award categories.

The strongest body of work across these 3 categories will be judged the Photographer of the Year.

Requirements:  The entrant’s editor, news editor, executive producer or equivalent must supply a supporting statement (maximum 300 words) to explain the context and impact of the photographer’s work and its impact on the media outlet’s audience.

Judging Criteria:  Photographer of the Year will be awarded to the photographer who has made the greatest overall contribution to photographing rural and regional issues.

Evidence required: 

3 examples of your work shown in both PDFs and JPGs.

200 word supporting statement to be included under “Entry Details” that outlines:

• how your entry came about
• how it is relevant to the category you are entering
• what it contributes to rural and regional journalism.

A supporting statement (maximum 300 words) from your editor, news editor, executive producer or equivalent explaining the context and impact of the journalist’s work and its impact on the media outlet’s audience.

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Eligibility:  To qualify for this award, entrants must enter 3 separate pieces of work (these may be entries in the previous categories).

Requirements:  The entrant’s editor, news editor, executive producer or equivalent must supply a supporting statement (maximum 300 words) to explain the context and impact of the journalist’s work and its impact on the media outlet’s audience.

Judging Criteria:  Journalist of the year will be awarded to the journalist who has made the greatest overall contribution to reporting on rural and regional issues.

Evidence required:

• 3 examples of your work shown in PDFs or web links.

• A 200 word supporting statement to be included under “Entry Details” that outlines:
  • how your entry came about
  • how it is relevant to the category you are entering
  • what it contributes to rural and regional journalism.
• A supporting statement (maximum 300 words) from your editor, news editor, executive producer or equivalent explaining the context and impact of the journalist’s work and its impact on the media outlet’s audience.

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Eligibility:  Broadcast, print and online journalists aged 25 years or younger. The award can only be won once by any journalist.

Requirements:  This category recognises the most promising young journalist in rural and regional journalism and is named in honour of the late Ray Frawley.

Ray Frawley was a long-serving vice-president of the club and fostering up-and-coming industry talent had been one of his great passions.

Entrants must have their entries authorised and signed by their Editor/Employer.

Entrants must submit 3 separate pieces of work that have been published or broadcast during the award year.

Judging Criteria:  Judges will consider how the entrant has grasped the subject, their depth of knowledge and how they have crafted the content.

Evidence:  Provide 3 examples of your work shown in PDFs or web links.

Please include a 200 word supporting statement under “Entry Details” that outlines:

• how your entry came about
• how it is relevant to the category you are entering
• what it contributes to rural and regional journalism.

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Eligibility:  All media outlets that publish rural or regional news.

Requirements:  This category recognises the outstanding work of a media organisation, whether it be print, broadcast or online.

Entrants must submit a portfolio of 5 pieces of work (combined in one PDF), with a supporting statement from the editor, news editor, executive producer or equivalent (maximum 300 words).

Judging Criteria:  The judges will look for outlets that consistently inform, entertain and provoke their target audiences. Judges will also look at the innovation of the outlet, staff development and creativity in presenting its work.

Evidence required:

• A portfolio of 5 pieces of work (combined in one PDF).
• A supporting statement from the editor, news editor, executive producer or equivalent (maximum 300 words).

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