The Rural Press Club of Victoria is proud to launch its first mentor program.
In 2026, two early career journalists who work in rural and regional Victoria will be selected to participate in the program.
They will be connected with senior colleagues who will provide professional advice, feedback and insights throughout the year.
The RPCV is proud to announce our mentors for 2026:
Ben Knight grew up in Mildura and started his journalism career by talking his way into the local ABC station, where he landed a job as a radio producer. He’s gone on to hold many senior roles at the ABC – radio presenter, TV newsreader and reporter, Middle East correspondent based in Jerusalem, and North America correspondent based in Washington. Ben covered the London Olympic Games and worked for Four Corners. He remains passionate about supporting young journalists to build their investigative and reporting skills using conversational story-telling to connect with audiences.
Kath Sullivan grew up in Sale and began her journalism career as a rural reporter in Gippsland. Based in Canberra, Kath currently reports for Australia’s only national agricultural television program, Landline. In her two stints with the ABC she has spent more than 15 years reporting on rural and regional affairs across Australia, for TV, radio and online. Kath also worked for rural newspaper The Weekly Times for four years. She’s whip-smart, well-connected, and can tell a story with compassion and expertise.
The program is open to working journalists in regional and rural Victoria with up to seven years’ experience. Journalists must be employed by a media organisation in rural or regional Victoria or be actively freelancing in order to participate in the program. They must also be members of the Rural Press Club of Victoria.
Early career journalists can apply using the online form linked below. Please provide a 200 word explanation of your work experience to date, and what you hope to gain from the mentor program.
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Award Sponsors
