Powercor and WorkSafe Back Regional Journalism as RPCV Platinum Sponsors

The Rural Press Club of Victoria is thrilled to announce its inaugural platinum sponsors for
the year, with the partnerships striving to advance regional and rural journalism into the
future.

Powercor and WorkSafe Victoria will partner with the RPCV as platinum sponsors in 2025 to
support the club in its journalistic endeavours, such as supporting events and awards for
journalists statewide.

WorkSafe Health and Safety executive director Sam Jenkin said both the RPCV and
WorkSafe share a commitment to improving the lives of regional Victorians.

“Local news outlets understand the distinct challenges of regional and rural life, making them
vital partners in preventing workplace harm and improving outcomes for injured workers,”
Mr Jenkin said.

“Any death or serious injury in a workplace is one too many, yet preventable incidents occur
at a higher rate in Victoria’s regional communities than in metropolitan areas.”

“Utilising the reach and local knowledge of regional newsrooms helps us ensure people
understand that workplace tragedies can happen to anyone, regardless of how well they know
their land, tools, or machinery.”

Powercor reputation and media manager Emma Tyner said the union of the press club and
Powercor would support the critical work of journalism across rural and regional Victoria.

“Powercor provides essential power to homes and businesses in regional Victoria and we
know first-hand the vital role local journalists play in keeping communities informed,” Ms
Tyner said.

“When a major storm hits and impacts power, people turn to their local news outlets for fast
and reliable information.

“In a time when there is a lot of misinformation being spread, it’s important we have strong,
trusted and local media available to communities.”

RPCV president Alex Sinnott said the platinum sponsorship contributions from WorkSafe
and Powercor were gratefully welcomed by the volunteer-run organisation.

“We’re a club run by regional journalists for regional journalists. Thanks to the partnerships
with Worksafe and Powercor, we’re able to hold a range of functions that promote rural and
regional journalism in testing times for our industry,” Mr Sinnott said.

“In particular, our biennial Young Journalists Forum as well as our annual Rural Press Club
of Victoria awards night will benefit from these contributions, along with an array of events
we stage throughout the year.”