Drought report wins big at Rural Journalism Awards

The National Rural Press Club Awards were held in Canberra last week, recognizing the work of some of Australia's leading rural journalists.

For farming and rural communities across Australia, reporting on rural affairs is crucial as many rely on the news coverage to stay well informed about the issues affecting their communities.

The National Rural Press Club (NRPC) brings together like minded individuals and organisations interested in issues affecting rural and regional Australia.

Last Wednesday, the NRPC held its inaugural awards, recognizing the stories of Australia's leading rural journalists.

The 2019 competition received a total of 47 stories covering print, television, online and radio. As the current drought continues to take its toll on Australian farmers, there was a heavy focus on drought and water management pieces.

Prizes were awarded for 'Best News Coverage' and 'Best News Feature' and 'Best Feature Sections' ($1000 for winners and $250 for runners up), along with an award for Outstanding Contribution ($500).

Canberra-based ABC reporter Lucy Barbour took out top honours, winning the inaugural Excellence in Rural Journalism Award for her report on the impact of the drought on rural and urban communities, Day Zero.

And our overall winner is…. @lucybarbour 👏👏🏆🏆

From the judges 'the quality of Lucy's reporting on a subject of national interest – the drought – was a standout' #superstar #legend #ag @pipcourtney @afsnsw @PressClubAust @abcnews @ABCRural pic.twitter.com/tXaIcV5Myf

— National Rural Press Club (@nrpc_au) November 27, 2019

Other winners included:

Best News Coverage

Winner: Lucy Barbour, ABC

Highly Commended: Kath Sullivan, ABC

Highly Commended: Shannon Twomey and Chantelle Francis, The Weekly Times

Best Feature

Winner: Brett Worthington, ABC

Highly Commended: Kath Sullivan, ABC

Highly Commended: Anna Henderson, ABC

Outstanding Contribution

Winner: Mike Foley, Australian Community Media

Overall Winner

Winner: Lucy Barbour, ABC

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners.

/Public Release. This material from the originating organization/author(s) might be of the point-in-time nature, and edited for clarity, style and length. Mirage.News does not take institutional positions or sides, and all views, positions, and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s).View in full here.