successCountry Press SA in press NEWSPAPER AWARDS 2014 Vintage tribute to the best elegates to the 2015 Country Press SA conference were Dtreated to some of the State’s best food and wine in the . At two of the region’s iconic locations – the Novotel Barossa Valley Resort and Seppeltfield Wines (pictured) - representatives from the 31 member newspapers heard from speakers including Barossa Co-op CEO Graeme Longmuir, local legend Maggie Beer, Jan Turbill of Intuito Market Research, Mark Hollands of Newspaper Works and real estate innovator Anthony Toop. The 2014 Country Press SA Awards were celebrated with a gala dinner at the Novotel on Friday night February 19, where there were some surprises in store, especially in the Best Newspaper categories.

Country Press SA Barossa valley Conference 2015 Country Press 2 success in press NEWSPAPER AWARDS 2014 www.sacountrypress.com.au

Best Newspaper 6000+ Times

LEFT: Mark Brownley, of SA Power Networks, with ’ Managing Editor Chris Coote and judge Bruce Morgan.

ABOVE: How the Port Lincoln Times team celebrated its historic win. Times has community at heart Judge’s comments Bruce Morgan

enerally, the standard of newspapers rated them. In the end, it was quality com- ular layout, with the classifieds clean and It was amusing to see Church Services un- in this category was quite high, with munity journalism that won the day. reader friendly. der “entertainment”. A subjective point! Ga consistent commitment to “parish First place – Port Lincoln Times. The Overall, this seems a proud community Third place – pump” community news, people photos and outstanding commitment to community jour- newspaper that takes its leadership role seri- Easily the best, most consistent front page good sports detail. nalism came through on every page. While ously. in this category and The Border Watch is eve- Most in this category committed to regu- the print stock quality/printing let this pub- Second place – ry bit the daily paper it almost is. lar editorials and promoted letters to the edi- lication down somewhat, its strengths out- Country Times Inside was also consistent and the quality tor, including social media comments. weighed this. This is a clean newspaper on good stock of the local content was high. Pictures were Layouts generally were modular and clean The “Our Community” section is a bench- with multiple strengths throughout its pages. good but sometimes too big when consider- with a good balance between serif and sans mark for all publications wanting to remain Strong use of “people pics” and quality ing the content of the frame. serif headers. Story count was good although relevant in their communities. The Times has local content were the standouts. The story It editorialises well but lacks community it could be improved in some publications. community leadership credentials, with good count was reasonable, but more briefs could engagement through letters, which could be The advertising in some was exceptional, editorial comment and solid letters indicating make it better and busier. Editorial and letters encouraged. highly creative, bold and colourful. engagement. page was substantial but readers could be en- Sport also was good, although some re- The printing was a contrast, with some pa- Its junior sport was a highlight of this sec- couraged to write more briefly. ports were exceedingly long and seemingly pers of high quality on good print stock but tion, and overall, an excellent story count. Sport was an excellent cover of those rep- printed as submitted. others using a lighter stock that did not repro- Its typography was mixed with balance resented. The advertising was of good quality, with duce as well. and a good use of photos, although again re- The advertising was a high standard; the a very good Real Estate Guide. Generally, the It was difficult scoring the top seven production was a let-down. Mother’s Day Gift Ideas a good example of printing was good, although too much mono newspapers; indeed only four points sepa- The advertising was clean, allowing mod- busy but clean. detracted from the overall product. Country Press SA thanks its sponsors... Country Press South Australia NEWSPAPER AWARDS 2014 www.sacountrypress.com.au success in press 3 Best Newspaper 2500-6000 The Recorder Setting a new

Sponsor Mark Brownley, of SA Power Networks, standard Debbie Glastonbury and Greg Mayfield of The Recorder, and judge Margaret on ‘sticky Manuel. issues’ Judge’s comments Margaret Manuel First: The Recorder Pirie. I loved its coverage of some sticky issues – Second: including some difficult political situations which I Third: The Murray Valley Standard. felt were handled well by the journalists. Although I felt privileged and honoured to be the judge of small in size, the paper packs a punch and is full of newspapers in this category for 2014 and I knew it life with good photos, used well. wouldn’t be an easy job. Fourth was News. Front pages had good Judging was difficult with all newspapers show- variety with photos used well with imaginative ing good coverage of local events, proving they are layout. Editorial comment, social pictures, high an integral part of their communities. standard of editorial and a well-used opinion page Only four points separated the top four papers. contributed to a well-rounded newspaper. Interestingly I found some papers were actually Great real estate advertising. I felt photos could more exciting to look at from the back page than be sharper. Best photos were in the real estate ad- the front. vertising. It is important to remember that it is front pages Fifth – Transcontinental, . Not far that sell newspapers and I believe nothing can com- behind the previous two papers, a neat and tidy pa- pete with a good front page photo used well. per with good modular layout. Photos could have Also, I question the use of TV guides taking up been crisper – especially in the 40 and 50 years ago two pages when most TVs have easy access to their section. They’re not worth using if they can’t be re- own guides. produced well. I liked the fact opinion was sought Also, many papers didn’t use by-lines for their from the community with Street Talk. journalists. Page 2 changed during the year from just weather Third this year is The Murray Valley Standard. It to include a story, which gave the paper much more did a great job of covering sport in the area. In the appeal. The winning team: Editor issues submitted, its back pages were well present- Sixth – Northern Argus, Clare. Although this pa- Greg Mayfield, ed with good use of photos which often outshone per can boast a great cross-section of news with front centre, with manager the front pages. I particularly loved the house ad good real estate advertising and sports coverage, I Debbie Glastonbury, left, “I’d be stranded without my Standard”. felt the paper generally had an old-fashioned look and Hollie Joyce. Back, Phil Second place goes to The Naracoorte Herald. A to it with lengthy stories on the front page and little Hensel, Bianca newspaper with good solid front pages and some use of photos. But I like the Trades and Services Di- Roeters, Shane Hendrickson, well-written stories which I found myself reading rectory - good use of colour and easy to read. Great Jessica Brenton and more than I meant to. front page photo at Marrabel but not attributed to administration manager They pulled the reader in to read more. any photographer. Joyleen Eckert. Absent: Louis I did note a falling off of reporting in the Novem- I felt the camera competition photos could have Mayfield and Laura Cook ber issue and on checking the house ads found the been used better at times – at least one of them, with paper had one fewer journalists, maybe making life the others smaller as they were of excellent quality. harder for the one still writing? Another newspaper where the back page was of- And first place goes to The Recorder from Port ten more appealing than the front. Newspaper Awards Save the date Friday February 19, 2016 Mortlock Chamber State Library of South Australia, North Terrace Adelaide 6.30pm for 7pm start

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Celebrating regional journalism, photography, and advertising. Registration Forms will be sent later in the year. Country Press South Australia 4 success in press NEWSPAPER AWARDS 2014 www.sacountrypress.com.au Making the most Lyndon Keane and Duana Job, Katherine Times. of the Times

Best Newspaper under 2500 Katherine Times Judge’s comments Joe Italiano he top three newspapers in this year’s celebrated. If you do well in Katherine, the competition had a lot in common. The local paper certainly looks like it will help TKatherine Times, Trib- spread the news. une and The are all en- Disappointingly in the editions judged was gaged with their communities. This is evident a lack of names under some photographs, in their coverage of community events, sport particularly in sport and social pages. People and solid Letters-to-the-Editor sections. have names and these should be used in cap- The Katherine Times and The South East- tions, even if it means a little extra work to ern Times have moved with the times and chase them up. are making good use of technology. Layouts are clean and good use is made of space with This newspaper has a good mix of hard both papers giving major news the full front news, sport and local social events. page treatment when it is appropriate. All four editions presented for judging fea- The Eyre Peninsula Tribune is more of a tured a strong lead plus a second story and traditional newspaper. It has clear signals on pointers on the front page – all good counter each page as to what the reader should read sales material. with bold headings for its lead stories and Layouts are traditional and done well with lighter or smaller headings for other stories the reader left in no doubt as to what is the Life members on the page. It also has a good story count. lead on any of the early general news pages. *C M R Dumas Mount Barker Large colourful photos, social pic spreads Photos could be improved by the use of a lit- and comprehensive coverage of sporting tle imagination. This newspaper is better than *W K Robinson Angaston events are features of all three papers. the “line up” pics used on some of its pages. The winner’s coverage and presentation of The South Eastern Times *L M Judell Gladstone, Jamestown, Laura paper big news stories finally separated it from the This newspaper is doing things right. It pro- pack. In a very close finish, the Katherine motes its content well on the front page and *E G Sprigg Naracoorte Herald & Border Chronicle Times edged out the Eyre Peninsula Tribune follows up with well presented and written and The South Eastern Times in second and stories on its news pages. *C B O’Reilly Country Press Association of SA Inc third positions respectively. It is very clear what the newspaper sees as Katherine Times important and it is not afraid to champion lo- *W Gilore Taylor The Renmark This is a professionally produced newspa- cal causes and issues in its well-written edi- per which makes the most of every opportu- torials. *J Liddy Barossa & Light Herald Tanunda nity, giving front page news the full treatment Snapshot pages capture locals enjoying when it is warranted, such as the murder of themselves at social events. *F W Hambidge Murray Valley Standard Murray Bridge the sister of the Minister for Women’s Policy It also has good pictorial coverage of sport- (May 7 edition). ing events to support its strong community H J Peake, OBE Naracoorte Herald Naracoorte Local achievements are acknowledged and focus. *J F Power Country Press Association of SA Inc SA Power *D T Tilbrook Northern Argus Clare Networks’ Mark M G Hambidge Murray Valley Standard Murray Bridge Brownley with the Manager of D B Hann Loxton the Katherine Times, Duana *D H G Taylor The Murray Pioneer Renmark Job. R J C Willson Whyalla News Whyalla *P J Marston The Courier Mount Barker M R Townsend Country Press Association of SA Inc T F Ellis Yorke Peninsula Country Times Kadina J D Pick Waikerie P H G Taylor The Murray Pioneer Renmark M S Manuel Balaklava T J McAuliffe Fairfax Regional Media Adelaide * deceased Country Press South Australia NEWSPAPER AWARDS 2014 www.sacountrypress.com.au success in press 5 Best Sports Photo Laura Wright, The Courier

Judge’s comments Lloyd Jenkins OAM ports coverage is a best-seller for newspapers achieved immediate impact and news value. and readers expect action and excellence in THIRD: The Murray Valley Standard - Perfect Sphotographs. timing and focus for a spectacular mark in The best photographers couple technical skill country football. with creativity and patience to capture the really SECOND: The Leader- Remarkable composi- striking images that make readers stop, look and tion of bowlers with all eyes on the green. enthuse. Overall, entries in this section included FIRST: The Courier - “Anger surfaces” high-standard pictures of football, cricket, basket- showing brilliant presentation of footballers ball, rodeo and bowls. splashing in mud and water with the ball barely Some fell away in reproduction, cropping and recognisable. This illustrated a hard-hitting story placement on pages while those in the top bracket about the shocking state of grounds. All the angles in news Celebrating wins for Digital Initiative The Border Watch and The South Eastern Times, from left, J.L. ‘Fred’ The Border Watch Smith, Jason Wallace, First - The Border Watch for its erable increases in Robin Reid and Dennis effective and sustained integration of traffic to their web- Jackson. print, digital and social media sites. In the case The Border Watch demonstrated the of The Recorder, BELOW: How The Border sustained integration of a range of tra- it saw record lev- Watch reported its win. ditional, digital and social media for els of digital traffic the purpose of promoting and adding for regional Fairfax value to local news. Using QR codes Media sites, not to directly link news stories in the print only in South Aus- edition to additional video content is a tralia but nationally. great way to encourage people to not Overall, in a time only sample digital, but to have an on- when other forms going relationship with it. It also rein- of regional media forced the view that a successful local have either wound newspaper delivers news in many dif- down or centralised ferent ways and that each source has a their “after hours” unique, but complementary, purpose news resources, in the overall relevance of local news. these newspapers Using the video content as a tool for harnessed the po- the sales team provides further rein- tential of their digi- forcement of this to advertisers. tal brand in being Overall, I felt that The Border Watch a 24/7 news leader demonstrated the best level of integra- and allowed them tion across all platforms and its ini- to demonstrate tiative was a sustained and permanent agility and social Judge’s comments change to the way in which they pub- responsibility when Mark Clemow lish. their communities Second - This is a tie between The needed them most. Recorder and The Murray Valley Honourable men- to earth and dear to them. In addition Standard for their coverage of local tion. for its Best to the engagement in the campaign, it bushfire emergencies Schnitzel Competition. This was a fun raised awareness of the digital editions The Recorder and The Murray Val- and engaging promotion that captured and social feeds of the paper and gave ley Standard demonstrated the value of the imagination of readers and pro- advertisers a broad range of promo- digital in providing rolling news, infor- moted some great results. Schnitzels tional vehicles. mation and human interest stories dur- are a staple of the Australian diet and Overall, this was a great way for a ing significant bushfires affecting their by using digital, social and print media, regional paper to engage with its audi- regions around the same time in 2014. readers were engaged in a competition ence and it should provide a solid foun- In doing this they each received consid- over something that was very down dation for other similar ideas. Country Press South Australia 6 success in press NEWSPAPER AWARDS 2014 www.sacountrypress.com.au

Best News Photo Sam Dowdy - The Border Watch Polly prank a winner for Sam Judge’s comments Barry O’Brien First: The Border Watch Second: Plains Producer Third: The Murray Pioneer t was a delight to judge this year’s award with Imany excellent pictures contributing to the highest overall standard I can re- member. Firstly, once again I would ask that organis- ers standardise the entries. Here’s a suggestion: per- haps the full page could be attached/stuck to a sheet of thin cardboard eg 50cm by 32cm. On the reverse Winner: side, the entry form stuck Sam securely. Dowdy, If the entry is presented The in a plastic folder, please Border show the entry details face Watch out on the reverse side. It would make life so much easier if entries, especially try Times cooling off in the Second place went to the for the photographic sec- heat-wave picture taken by extraordinary picture by tions, were all the same and Lucy Short and the mobil- Lisa Redpath in the Plains didn’t have to be taken in ity scooter for local lad in Producer of the fire front and out of folders. my local paper, which was frightening, Many entrants showed by Alex Urquhardt. I saw it showing the enormity of good creativity especially when published in Novem- the challenge faced by one The Murray Valley Stand- ber and hoped it would be unit. Great picture, wonder- ard and Port Lincoln Times. an entry. fully used. The trouble experienced Little did I know the qual- The winner epitomises by farmers was well illus- ity of this year’s entries. press photography – or trated by The Loxton News Unfortunately I couldn’t photo-journalism, at its and Northern Argus. include either in my top very best. It shows an I was drawn into the three, but highly commend awareness of a tense situ- story by the picture of the them both. ation, captured at exactly teenage girl with the MRI Third place I awarded to the right, finger-pointing brain scans in the Whyalla The Murray Pioneer and moment. I refer to Sam News and had a smile at Will Slee’s running of the Dowdy’s excellent picture The Leader’s spirit-of-the- sheep. It would have been of Forestry Minister Leon fringe picture. a good picture anyway, but Bignell’s objection to the It was so hard to separate to get the leader of the pack stunt of Liberal member the top entries. I loved both leaping was “gold” - in this Tony Pasin in The Border the Yorke Peninsula Coun- case, bronze! Watch. Pamela leading the way in country journalism t was a delight to see nine entries for the Young Journalist of the Year 2014. All Young Journalist Inine entrants are worthy winners of this award. They are all passionate journalists serving their mastheads in print and online, Pamela Perre - The Murray Pioneer through journalism and photography, and all are actively involved in their local com- David Wright munities, developing contacts and generat- Judge’s comments ing story leads. Pioneer in the community through: Nick Perry joined the Yorke Peninsula Entrants ranged in age from 18 to 25. • her dedication to local issues (her story Country Times straight out of school in The more senior entrants are already in- about the demise of the local army cadets 2007, fuelled by a passion for journalism, dustry veterans, working on subbing and led to its rejuvenation), and will serve as his masthead’s acting edi- layout, and some have been acting edi- • involvement in community events (ice tor in 2015. He’s a great all-rounder tack- tors. In judging this award, I have taken bucket challenge), ling everything from hard news to sport, into consideration the merit of supporting • serving as acting editor of the Loxton and is not afraid to tackle the big issues. articles, and also the individual aspirations News, and 3rd – Hollie Joyce, The Recorder and initiatives of the entrants, as outlined • promoting The Murray Pioneer with Described by her editor as one of the by their nominators. weekly radio spots. most talented, precocious young journal- Winner – Pamela Perre, The Murray Clearly Pamela has the versatility and ists he has met in 40 years of journalism, Pioneer drive required of young country journalists Hollie Joyce ticks all of the boxes for a Pamela Perre (pictured) is a great all- as our industry moves forward to embrace country media employee. She’s taken up round country journalist, having taken up the digital age, while maintaining our tra- the social media and digital challenges, the social media challenge and also the role ditional print editions. has worked on subbing and layout, and has of digital editor at The Murray Pioneer. 2nd – Nick Perry, Yorke Peninsula built on her existing network of contacts in She’s been a fantastic advocate for the Country Times the community. Country Press South Australia NEWSPAPER AWARDS 2014 www.sacountrypress.com.au success in press 7 Art break at winery Guests enjoyed a casual dinner at Chateau Tanunda on Thursday night. On Friday, guests heard from four speakers at the Barossa Novotel conference facilities before boarding a bus to Seppeltsfield winery and cellar door. Seppeltsfield hosts a Jam Factory workshop, which provides studio space for a dozen professional artisans and a gallery space. Guests met knife maker Barry Gardner, leather worker Rose-Anne Russell, milli- ner Julie Fleming and glass artist Brendan Scottfrench. Lunch was served at Sep- peltsfield before guests returned to the Novotel for the awards dinner. LEFT: Merridy Manuel, Georgie Todd, Rosemary Duffield. RIGHT: Merridy Manuel, Chateau Tanunda owner John Geber and Andrew Manuel (Plains Producer) at the casual Thursday night dinner.

ABOVE: That’s not a knife! Ian Osterman (The Courier), knife maker Kevin Gardner and Trevor APEC shirts anyone? Ben Taylor (The Taylor Group), Graeme Longmuir of McAuliffe (Country Press SA). Barossa Co-op, Tony Mangan (HWR). LEFT: Maggie Beer with Renee White (Barossa & BELOW: Ben Taylor (The Taylor Group), Margaret Manuel, Paul McEvey Light Herald). (Country Press Australia) at Chateau Tanunda on Thursday night. BELOW: Guest speaker Anthony Toop. Country Press South Australia 8 success in press NEWSPAPER AWARDS 2014 www.sacountrypress.com.au success in press 9

FAR LEFT: Nick Perry and Kayla Boyce (YP Country Times). CENTRE LEFT: Caitlin Faint (The Leader) and Stephanie Gann (The Leader). LEFT: Renee White and Todd Bennett (Barossa & Light Herald). RIGHT: Greg Mayfield (The Recorder), Darren and Genevieve Cooper (The Courier), Ros Mayfield. BELOW RIGHT: Paul McEvey (Country Press Australia), Matt Sharkady (GOSS Graphics), Tania Gordon (Norske Skog), Liz Papaser- gio, Lorraine Yeates. BELOW: Ben Taylor, (The Taylor Group) Wendy Forbes , Paul Mitchell, Pamela Perre (front), all from The Murray Pioneer.

ABOVE: Kirsty Davis and Kayleigh Bruce (both Whyalla News), Helen Luvisi and Celeste Newbery (both Transcontinental).

LEFT: Emma and Simon Clark (The Leader).

RIGHT: Nick Perry and Ian Shaw (YP Country Times).

FAR RIGHT: Rob and Rosemary Duffield (Country Press Victoria).

ABOVE LEFT: Rob McLean (The Bunyip), with “The Andrews Sisters” entertainers.

LEFT: Lorena Lyon (Fairfax Sales), Barbara and Michael Sibley (The Islander), Tina Traeger (EP Tribune).

BELOW LEFT: Deidre Graham (The Border Times), Lloyd Jenkins OAM and Norma Jenkins.

BELOW: Greg Mayfield (The Recorder), Dylan Smith (Fairfax Digital), Debbie Glastonbury (The Recorder).

RIGHT: Libby and Les Pearson (Plains Producer), with baby Patrick.

LEFT: Hon John Dawkins, Margie Betts (The Bunyip).

ABOVE LEFT: Sonia Fowler (Barossa & Light Herald).

ABOVE: Sandy Shaw and Kaylene Ellis (YP Country Times).

ABOVE RIGHT: Jeremy Wohling and Brooke Dubois (The Times).

RIGHT: Brad Sargent and Jenny Wainwright. (). Country Press South Australia 10 success in press NEWSPAPER AWARDS 2014 www.sacountrypress.com.au

ABOVE: Young Journalist. Sponsor Tony Pasin MP, Pamela Perre (The Murray Pioneer), judge David Wright. ABOVE LEFT: Best Advertisement (Image/Branding). ABOVE: Best Front Page. Sponsor Judge Bob Yeates, Margaret Betts (The Bunyip), sponsor David Robins (DIC Australia) with Norman Bob Lockley (Fairfax Print and Distribution). Marston (The Courier). LEFT: Best Advertisement (Priced Product). Judge Bob BELOW: Outstanding Ad Rep. Sponsor Mark Yeates, Michael Ellis (YP Country Times), sponsor Matt Brownley (SA Power Networks) with Wendy Sharkady (GOSS Graphics). Forbes (The Murray Pioneer).

LEFT: Best Sports Story. Sponsor Steve Marshall (Agfa Graphics), Les Pearson (Plains Producer).

RIGHT: Best Editorial Writing. Fred Smith (The South Eastern Times), sponsor Tom Raggatt (HWR Media and Communications).

LEFT: Best Advertising Feature. Christopher Coote (Port Lincoln Times), sponsor Tania Gordon (Norske Skog). ABOVE: Best Sports Photo. Norman Marston (The Courier), judge Lloyd Jenkins OAM. ABOVE MIDDLE: Excellence in Journalism. Genevieve Cooper (The Courier), sponsor Paul Roberts (SA Power Networks). ABOVE RIGHT: Best Supplement. Michael Ellis (YP Country Times), sponsor Paul Sayner (Brissett Rollers).

Best Community Profile. Judge Brad Perry, Michael Best News Photo. Sponsor Lindsay Cope (Graphic Art Digital Initiative. Robin Reid (The Border Watch), Murphy (Barrier Daily Truth), sponsor Hon John Dawkins. Supplies), Jason Wallace (The Border Watch ), judge Barry sponsor Dorothy Staruchowicz (Media Super), O’Brien. judge Mark Clemow. Country Press South Australia NEWSPAPER AWARDS 2014 www.sacountrypress.com.au success in press 11

Best Front Page The Courier Jaw-dropping header a winner Judge’s comments Graham Gorrel his was an exciting and high If there was any criticism it was the standard competition with 26 en- lack of effective kicker heads to bol- Ttries making it extremely difficult ster the main headline in some entries. but a pleasurable task to select the three The Port Lincoln Times entry, Fed Up, top entries. about a councillor who This made “news value and impact” resigned because of a colleague’s a crucial factor in decision making be- abusive behaviour used a kicker head, cause the other four criteria were han- - This was an utter dled superbly in most entries. disgrace - which added weight to Where once headline “labels” were both the page layout and its news value. frowned upon, today the impact factor HIGHLY COMMENDED: Plains on readers, particularly casual readers, Producer; Port Lincoln Times. is all important. THIRD PLACE: The Recorder, Also, if the newspaper has a top pho- Pori Pirie: Brilliant use of a reader’s tograph it must be used to its full po- photograph taken as the fire raged in tential. Some entries lost points as the the Southern Flinders Ranges and the photograph was used in a montage ef- flames’ reflection in the water with a fect competing for prominence against graphic one-word heading –Inferno - pointers, advertisements and major was very effective. headline - much too busy for page one. SECOND: The Bunyip, Gawler: I particularly liked the elevation to Wonderful use of all five criteria for front page of a sports story or a sports Best Front Page judging was used by personality with an accompanying pho- the newspaper to bring together two tograph where, clearly, it was of a major newsworthy incidents using excellent community interest. The Murray Pio- typography and graphic reproduction neer and The Loxton News did this well. which brought readers into a highly The Border Times gave a great exam- charged local political storm using the ple of how a stand-alone photograph heading Electoral Storm. with an explicit caption can be not just FIRST: The Courier; The jaw-drop- an eye-catching front page pic but a ping confession by a mayoral candidate pointer to the full story inside. that she lied to protect a mate and de- Bushfire pictures and stories domi- ceived her council contrasted dramati- nated many of the entries this year, cally with the happy snap of a young some of the photographs were stun- girl having fun at the local show. The ning but the Plains Producer should layout was used to perfection to high- be highly commended for its use of a light the delightful photograph without “happy” picture of a fire fighter who detracting from the huge impact and died while protecting his property and strength of the story. As the Editor, Ian a story based on an interview with his Osterman, wrote: “It’s hard for words to wife. The personal interviews in these compete with an amazing pic”, but the tragic situations are crucial to readers. newspaper got it right.

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MSUP 37264 SA Country Press 260hx130.indd 1 20/05/15 3:38 PM Country Press South Australia 12 success in press NEWSPAPER AWARDS 2014 www.sacountrypress.com.au Editorial Writing Award Fred Smith - The South Eastern Times Real results for the community Judge’s comments Shauna Black t is encouraging to hear the voice of coun- achieved the means to keep his try and community journalism speaking community better informed. Istrongly in this year’s entries. SA’s re- In his report of the Yamba gions, cities and towns still rely heavily on fruit fly incident he also calls their local newspapers to reflect the impor- for better communication and tant issues, to speak out on their behalf and to defends the Riverland in this encourage the prosperity and responsibility important, but not sexy, im- of communities. perative. In his third entry, the It was disappointing that several significant local councils and residents are mastheads chose not to enter this category called to action over proposals and that several well-established newspapers to reduce speed limits in the re- still do not carry an editorial. If a newspaper gion. Paul reflects the concerns is not publishing an editorial, then it is little of the community he serves more than a newsletter. Absence of editori- and is frank in his assessment als shows a lack of courage and engagement of these important topics. with the community. FIRST PLACE: J.L. “Fred” Among the entries this year were a good Smith, The South-Eastern number from younger editors, still honing Times: Fred’s editorials have their craft but ready to fully engage with their secured real results for his communities. community in Millicent. He Some editors would benefit from under- defended the local detective’s standing more about the unspoken rules of position after an internal po- editorials, perhaps by reading the work of Winner Fred Smith and, right, with lice review recommended the larger newspapers and more experienced edi- Minister Tony Piccolo at the awards position be made redundant. tors. An editorial should rarely, if ever, speak night. The position was retained. An- in the first person. It is the view of the news- her sympathetic editorial on the demolition other of his entries attacked the paper, not an individual, even when there of citrus orchards, her call to Waikerie resi- State Government for propos- might be only one journalist at the helm. For dents to unite to save their caravan park, and ing to strip more jobs from the the same reason, it should not carry a byline ensuring developers consult the local com- region, which had already suf- or be signed by the editor. munity, Ryneisha is obviously fully engaged fered from the forestry sales. The insidious creeping usage of “that” in- with her community. Jobs were saved. In his third stead of “who”, when referring to a person, Ian Osterman, The Courier: The acerbic munity is well-served by having an editor of entry he gives state politicians a was present in some entries and the dreaded Mr Osterman again bridges the metropoli- the quality and dedication of Jason. He takes history lesson about the South-East Drainage social media scourge “would of”, usurping tan/regional gap with his take-no-prisoners the Federal Member for Barker Tony Pasin Scheme and its benefits to the entire region “would have”, even appeared in one entry! view on government issues affecting his to task over his lack of support for the Penola and state. The State proposes a levy on farm- Three entries were disqualified because Hills readers, such as the Emergency Service bypass; encourages those who oppose frack- ers for the maintenance of the Scheme. Fred they entered comment pieces or general edi- Levy, political expediency (lying) and a cyni- ing to voice their concerns through the cor- rightly points out that no one else in the state torial, not leaders. Others could have bene- cal view of the Community Cabinet. rect channels; and calls for a broad inquiry is levied for specific major infrastructure and fited from a statement by the authors to give Greg Mayfield, The Recorder: This assured into fracking. His writing is unemotional but he gives examples too compelling to ignore. context and report about the outcomes of the and experienced writer obviously enjoys his appealing and he speaks with reason and au- In an era when politicians will test the popu- editorial campaigns conducted. craft. Though done with a light touch, his thority on these important local topics. larity of policies by announcing them and However, the diversity and quality of edi- three entries invite the reader to ponder the SECOND PLACE: Paul Mitchell, The gauging response, regional newspapers have torials this year was generally pleasing, rang- cost of drugs in the community, conflict of Murray Pioneer: Paul champions local po- a crucial role in making their communities ing from wry commentary to community cel- interest in the local council and memories of lice and Loxton residents in his attack on aware and advocating on their behalf. Fred ebration and covering a broad range of often a Vietnam War veteran. SAPOL’s media unit, advocating on the understands this responsibility deeply and is difficult topics. Special mentions go to: THIRD PLACE: Jason Wallace, The Pe- community’s behalf for better communica- prepared to speak frankly and passionately to Ryneisha Bollard: The River News. With nola Pennant. The small South-East com- tion. After a series of meetings with police he his readers. Congratulations, Fred. Best Community Profile Michael Murphy - Barrier Daily Truth Rollercoaster ride for readers he community profile plays a very important Trole in country newspapers and has always been one of my favourite styles of article. Judge’s comments The standard of entries was of a high level and it is clear that a number of journalists have mas- Hon. John Dawkins tered the craft of engaging with their interview- ee and putting that into words. After a lengthy full of colour and flows as a great community process, I was able to narrow it down to three profile should. The story takes the reader on a stand-out pieces. rollercoaster ride that is both punchy and im- I’d like to firstly acknowledge some of the pressive. strong profiles which were impressive but just SECOND: Ben Kelly (The Times, Victor Har- missed out on a top three spot. Billie Harrison bor) (Port Lincoln Times), Les Pearson (Plains Pro- Ben approaches a subject that is sensitive and ducer), Peri Strathearn (Murray Valley Stand- challenging with intent to inform the community ard) and Jack McGuire (Roxby Downs Sun) all of a matter that is rarely discussed in the public provided well-written, researched and enjoyable spotlight. His ability to establish trust with his reads. interviewee and then carefully construct an in- FIRST: Michael Murphy (Barrier Daily Truth) sightful and often confronting profile is a credit Most community profiles have an interest- to his journalistic skills. verted this into an interesting portrayal about ing subject to work with but what makes an THIRD: Alicia Ludi-Schutz (The Leader) the life of a local identity. The profile is well outstanding profile is the journalist’s ability to There are community profiles that you read constructed, flows well and is a great tale that extract the best from his interviewee. Michael’s and instantly smile. This is one of them. Alicia I’m sure was well received by the newspaper’s Winner Michael Murphy. story on a well-known identity is has conducted an extensive interview and con- readership. Country Press South Australia NEWSPAPER AWARDS 2014 www.sacountrypress.com.au success in press 13 Excellence in Journalism Genevieve Cooper - The Courier Old-fashioned legwork exposes lying leader Judge’s comments Kym Tilbrook First - Genevieve Cooper, The Courier Second - Sandra Morello, The Border Watch Third - Brett Kennedy -

here were 21 entries in the Excellence in Journalism cat- egory, down five from last year. The thing that stood out Tthis year was the high number of strong entries, the best I can remember in the years I have been judging Excellence in Journalism. Papers certainly delved deep into a number of key issues affect- ing their communities. Some of the issues under the microscope included illegal drugs, mining of gas (fracking), local government elections, bushfires, marine parks and mental health. Because of the strength of the entries I gave three honourable mentions. They were to: * Raquel Mustillo, The South Eastern Times, for her excellent coverage on problems with the use of methamphetamine in the Best Supplement region. Raquel covered all angles and strong research was evident in her stories. Genevieve Cooper and the winning * Greg Mayfield, The Flinders News, for his coverage of the YP Country Times report. Bangor fire in the Southern Flinders Ranges. Greg wrote a series of articles from the start of the blaze and continued his excellent coverage for several weeks, asking some vital questions about the fire-fighting tactics, the community’s response and the threat ‘Emily’s advice’ too to the operation of a sawmill. Greg is always a strong performer in the annual awards and, as usual, his professionalism shone through. good to ignore * Rob McLean, The Bunyip, for his coverage of bickering by mayoral candidates in the local government election. His series ast year special mention was of interviews with candidates were a great read and certainly kept made of the need for news- Judge’s comments papers to make supplements them honest on a wide range of issues. L Graham Greenwood I gave third place to Brett Kennedy of The Pennant for his re- more reader-friendly by using ty- porting on issues surrounding the mining of gas (fracking) in the pography and leading that could region. It is a divisive issue and Brett kept up a very high standard be easily read. ome newspapers the newspaper delivered the menu of journalism as he reported on it throughout 2014. took up the advice and they have feature to 20 businesses and tourist He attended several public meetings, speaking to residents and figured highly in the awards. locations throughout the circula- protesters to make sure the wider community was kept fully in- It is important to remember that tion district. formed. if the text is too small or the lead- The clever use of black and red At all times he maintained balance in his reporting by ensuring ing too tight, readers will find it lettering, combined with heritage- the views of the exploration company were put forward. difficult to read the articles. Ad- style chamois colour for the menu Second place went to Sandra Morello of The Border Watch for vertisers will have wasted their and other sections fitted in nicely money. strong and sustained coverage of the growing problem of meth- with the history of the hotel which amphetamine use in the South-East. HIGHLY COMMENDED: Katherine Times. goes back to 1851. Her reporting contributed to growing community awareness, WINNER: prompting police to organise a forum on the topic in a bid to pro- A very clever school feature, Yorke Peninsula Country Times mote a broad approach to tackling the problem. Sandra’s cover- done with a blackboard in the age included lengthy interviews with police, community leaders background of all the various This was a clear winner. Many and reformed addicts. school photographs. lt would have newspapers have done wedding First place goes to Genevieve Cooper of The Courier. Genevieve been a big hit with the children and guides, some well, others not so is always a very strong performer in the Excellence in Journalism their parents in schools and com- well, but this one rated highly. category and her story, “I lied to save mate” was another excellent munities up to 800km from Kath- From the clever front cover of a entry. Her front page article about a former councillor and may- erine. bride being piggy-backed by the oral candidate certainly livened up the local government election THIRD PLACE: groom through the informative, campaign in the Hills, The River News racy, but easy-to-read text and high Courier editor Ian Osterman noted that he believed it was the Good, tidy editorial, which class photographs, to a full back ranged from vital information to strongest story The Courier published all year and it was followed page which simple said: “And up by Adelaide media. reasons why people lived in that particular township. One of the they lived happily ever after”, the Genevieve obviously has very good contacts in the community 24-page feature is a must-read for who respect her reporting. In this case they anonymously sent her great features of this supplement a series of incriminating emails. To get the story to print required was the excellent work done by anyone planning a wedding. a huge amount of good, old-fashioned journalistic legwork. production on the advertising. Sections include, “planning the Through interviews and research she managed to prove that a Use of colour was first class, ad- best day of your life”, “Advice mayoral candidate had told council investigators a carefully or- vert designs provided good varia- for ring shopping”, Church versus chestrated and pre-meditated lie about the leaking of a document tion and it shows what can be done garden” for the ceremony and the in 2012. on basic newsprint, if a little ini- “Four Commandments of prepar- The Courier withstood threats of legal action and published, tiative and good design is put into ing the bride’s hair” along with deciding that exposing a potential political leader who was pre- practice. “tips to finding your dream dress”. pared to access confidential information and lie about it to the SECOND PLACE: However the one section that organisation they wanted to lead was clearly in the public interest. Northern Argus won over this judge was “Emily’s The story obviously had a huge impact on the election for This innovative, four-page pro- ject centred on one business but Advice”, written by a bride of two mayor – the candidate lost by the largest margin in the council’s years and in the article she takes history. it was done so effectively there is future brides through her day, of- Genevieve’s work was first-rate and highlighted her journal- no wonder it proved a huge suc- istic talent. She certainly met the criteria for the award: “A local cess. Done in an historic menu fering advice and hints on how she news and human interest story – must be breaking news, delving format, more than 12,000 were handled some of the stressful yet into an issue in the entrant newspaper’s community.” made available to thousands of wonderful moments of a very spe- Her investigation and story ticked every box. customers at the hotel and as well, cial day. Country Press South Australia 14 success in press NEWSPAPER AWARDS 2014 www.sacountrypress.com.au Wendy’s career still blooming 2013 – an outstanding performance. Outstanding Advertising Rep Our first ever sales program using an outside media sales business saw Wendy sell several 52-week sales Wendy Forbes - The Murray Pioneer packages attracting $32,000 worth of incremental advertising revenue. endy Forbes, pictured, started rapport and well-honed sales skills to Wendy has had an excellent 2014 her newspaper career in 1977 W achieve her targets. and in a difficult and turbulent year working in the administration depart- In 2014, Wendy sold her 20,000th ment at The Murray Pioneer. She lat- she has remained focused and stayed advert according to our current ad positive. While reps around her have er became a telesales person one day booking software but we know it’s per week while juggling work with come and gone Wendy has always thousands more as she sold ads for been the employee the company can motherhood. about eight years before the current Her sales career blossomed from turn to in its hour of need. booking system was installed. here and Wendy has become our long- She worked a 25-30 hour week in est serving sales person probably in Wendy achieved budget in eight 2014 and usually outshone the full- the history of this business and cer- of 12 months in 2014 and increased time sales staff around her in sales tainly in the last 30 years. ad revenue for the The Loxton News achieved. Her experience and knowl- Her passion for the product and Christmas Feature by 10 per cent in a edge of the local market is invaluable genuine excitement at the end result very tough market. to the business. We wish we could when a supplement rolls off the press Our annual tourism magazine ‘Riv- clone her. is as strong today as it was 20 years erland Experiences’ saw Wendy’s Ben Taylor – Managing Director, ago. Wendy usess her excellent client sales effort increase 132 per cent on Taylor Group Newspapers. The best of what co-ops are about Best Advertising Feature Port Lincoln Times Judge’s comments Frank Reed First - Port Lincoln Times from 33 advertisers, which is a tes- Second - The Loxton News tament to its standing in the busi- ness community. Third - Barossa & Light Herald The Barossa & Light Herald’s “Lest we Forget” treatment of the he three features are certain- ANZAC Day commemoration ly locally focused, of high has taken this evergreen, impor- Treader value and very well tant and popular feature to another supported by the advertisers. Pro- level. Built around an inquiry from duction quality is good, as are the a Scottish historian, layouts. thought outside the square to com- The Loxton News has produced a bine the inquiry about a lost airman very effective and interesting spread in WWII who was connected to on The Brown’s Well Centenary of another airman buried in the local Towns feature. This well supported cemetery. coverage of the small communities Again, reader interest is put be- around Loxton, showed just how fore the commercial value to draw important the local newspaper is in specific attention to ANZAC Day bringing relevant news and infor- commemorations, which are grow- mation to the region. ing in interest and drawing huge Advertisers also saw the opportu- numbers of people (young and old) nity to target readers (and custom- around Australia. The content then ers) in those small towns and pro- expands to cover the broader scope mote in what was a specific interest of local community involvement in feature with regional appeal. military service in war time. The editorial was well written, ANZAC is a part of our national informative and provided enough history from the point of marking interesting details covering the Australia and New Zealand’s con- original idea behind the event (a tribution and sacrifice on the world school reunion) through to concep- stage. tion as well as some local history. This approach to features can The fact that 24 advertisers sup- only generate interest and reader- ported the feature shows just how ship long-term. Sure, the 50 adver- commercially valuable it was to tisers supporting the feature are not them. The layout of the feature was out their selling products (and nor clear and print quality was good. should they in this type of feature) The Port Lincoln Times, has cap- but supporting what is an important tured the real spirit of the ‘good old community event. co-op feature’ as we know it with The cover treatment is first class, DK Quarries’ 50 Years Celebration. layout clear and relevant to the type certainly one. a challenge to garner strong adver- However, there are key differences of feature. Editorially, it covers all Also, to start, build and grow a tising support for the small com- ABOVE: that separate it from other similar the key interest factors of the ‘why, business that can last 50 years is a munity events but this well written The DK entries like: how and what’. supreme challenge in today’s com- and produced example shows just Quarries Variety of the business scope lo- Making a final judgement for a feature in cally and state-wide; Development winner in this category was a dif- petitive markets. what can be achieved with the right phases; Community support em- ficult and in some way a tearing The feature as I have said earlier combination. the Port ployment; Longevity of local staff; experience. However these awards is a very good example of combin- Finally, third place to the heart Lincoln Helpful time line details. demand only one ultimate win- ing sensible reader and community -tugging Lest We Forget coverage Times. The feature certainly has an ner and in this case I have swayed interest with commercial impor- from the Barossa & Light Herald ample amount of copy devoted to slightly to the Port Lincoln Times – tance, which has been achieved in was a standout for this type of fea- ‘chest beating’, which is standard DK Quarries’ 50 Years Celebration. the right balance here. ture and should be held up as an ex- for co-ops, but not at the expense The key factor is that local ser- Second place goes to The Loxton ample to other publishers as a bet- of the reader, as many are. The fea- vice to a community comes in a News for the Brown’s Wells Cente- ter way to serve the ANZAC cause ture has generated strong support number of ways and business is nary of Towns feature. It is always and reader interest combined. Country Press South Australia NEWSPAPER AWARDS 2014 www.sacountrypress.com.au success in press 15 Judge’s comments Bob Yeates Too much colour can hurt your eyes There were more than 20 entries in the Best your eyes out and often the message is lost. Advertisement (priced product) and almost Advertising in newspapers is different to the 30 entries in the Best Advertisement (image/ digital space message. The name of the com- branding) section. Congratulations to all those pany should still be at the bottom of the adver- who entered. tisement; a number of advertisements had the The advertisements ranged in standard and name of the company at the top of the adver- size. In the priced product category it is impor- tisement, just like web ads. tant I believe that we remember illustrations, If we are employing young people in our headlines, body copy, price, perhaps a call to newspapers they need training in layout and action and contact details. design. This training also needs to be trans- Some advertisements in both categories had ferred information to the Sales Representatives too much splashing of colours bouncing be- who may have to deal with often unschooled tween their borders. local business owners, in the visual commu- Pasting broad brushes of colour can wear nication sometimes a challenge for all of us. Local lawyers the winners irst place in the image branding adver- tisement went to The Bunyip Gawler Best Ad - Fteam for the Rudall & Rudall Lawyer advertisement celebrating the company’s 160 years of community service. Branded Product The full-page advertisement was eye-catch- ing, well laid out, with the use of one family of type. A fast glance and the reader knew it was a The Bunyip celebration, they do law, all areas of it, at a The advertisement carried a tag, “watch this glance how they can perform, plus call for a space” for super opening specials, inviting the free consultation at the bottom – address, tel- reader to look at next week’s edition. ephone, website, facebook, etc, etc, etc. This advertisement was strong and clean I might add the pictures of the good-looking using one bold type face stamped on a red team were a little on the soft-focus side. I graphic adding colour to the space, creating a would have had their heads a tad bigger, but feel and style of how you may well want your lawyers being lawyers they would be happy fruits, flowers and juice delivered. not to be too “out there”. Third Place – On a lighter note their new logo looks like it Third in the image branding category was is leaning towards a Rolls Royce badge!! the simple clean message placed in The I hope the lawyers are copyright safe. Transcontinental, for Alinta Energy, a nation- Second Place – The Courier al energy company which promotes safety in Second place in the image branding went the workplace and as well with this advertise- to The Courier for its advertisement for Barn ment, safety on our roads to the broader com- Fresh Fruiterers. munity The advertisement heralds the soon-to-be- The advertisement has a single safety mes- opened, newly developed Stirling Mall where sage, simple picture and graphics, very sec- Barn Fresh Fruiterers will have its fresh fruits, ondary is the company brand, but it is there! fresh flowers, and fresh juice in the first week It is an image branding exercise for the large of December. company, unashamedly. Creative lark is pick of the bunch he standout and winning advertisement in Tthe price product category this year was the Androssan Foodland advertisement for a Best Ad - punnet of strawberries in the Yorke Peninsula Country Times. Priced Product This advertisement was clean, using red and green colours and featuring a happy- faced strawberry excited about his strawberry friends being sold at only $2.69 a punnet. YP Country Times The print reproduction of the strawberries tures of the product you can see, corporate col- made me want to eat them and caught my eye ours easy to read, and the black information straight away. type is not too small. Headline words ‘Jam Sesh’ and the product Third – Northern Argus price were easy as green is to see, although Third in this section is the Clewers Betta perhaps the script font could have been made Home Living advertisement for Last Minute a little easier to read. Well done to the creative Gift Ideas. lark at the Yorke Peninsula Country Times, The full-page advertisement had 12 large keep up the good work. items that were well reproduced and the prices Second – The Murray Valley Standard were easy to read and stuck to the products. Second place went to the Standard with the The advertisement did break the rule having classic Stihl advertisement with well-placed the store name at the top of the advertisement and sized pictures of Stihl products and great rather than the bottom, but other than that it is sized prices for the products. well laid out and easy to get around quickly I understand Stihl has a template for the local with the eye. There were products for Christ- papers to follow but it is still possible for the mas for everyone’s budget. The bottom of the layout artist to get sizes wrong. advertisement was a little cluttered with un- The advertisement has a good headline, pic- necessary colour. Country Press South Australia 16 success in press NEWSPAPER AWARDS 2014 www.sacountrypress.com.au Excellent story-telling

Best Sports Story Plains Producer Judge’s comments Ian Shuttleworth FIRST PLACE As a reader, you are swept along by well- Carl not only broke the news of the local Stephanie produced a well-written piece Plains Producer chosen quotes from a parent who was forced football competition exploring the use of documenting a significant moment in the Louise Michael to revive his son on a football ground. a salary cap, but he presented the story in a sporting community. A standout article among a quality list of Louise is a very worthy winner! clear and concise way. It shows the value of a journalist and a SECOND PLACE The supporting quotes from each of the entries. newspaper investing time in developing re- The Bunyip club presidents added further weight to this Louise (pictured) portrayed a shocking and Carl Pfeiffer balanced and informative piece. Well done lationships with key contacts and in this in- interesting story in an emotive, entertaining Journalists who break stories or produce Carl! stance forging a strong bond with local ad- and easy-to-read manner. content with a point of difference deserve THIRD PLACE ministrators. It typifies the story-telling that many people reward in an era where press releases and The Loxton News An emotional subject is presented in a re- look for from their local newspaper. media management dominate the landscape. Stephanie Gropler spectful and professional manner.

Country Press SA 2015