Food shortage investigation sends Staight to international congress

An investigative report into Australia’s role in the global food shortage has won a South Australian journalist the 2012 Rabobank Australian Star Prize for Rural Broadcasting.

ABC Landline’s Kerry Staight’s win was announced today at a gathering of Rural Media SA. The award is run annually by the Australian Council for Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ), in association with Australia’s five dedicated rural media clubs.

Rabobank SA State Manager James Robinson congratulates ABC TV Landline reporter Kerry Staight for being named the overall winner of the 2012 Rabobank Australian Star Prize for Rural Broadcasting. The presentation was made at a Rural Media SA luncheon in Adelaide.

An investigative report into Australia’s role in the global food shortage has won a South Australian journalist the 2012 Rabobank Australian Star Prize for Rural Broadcasting.

ABC Landline’s Kerry Staight’s win was announced today at a gathering of Rural Media SA. The award is run annually by the Australian Council for Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ), in association with Australia’s five dedicated rural media clubs.

ACAJ President Liz Harfull congratulated Kerry on her win and wished her well in the international competition.

“Kerry’s prize is a trip to the International Federation of Agricultural Journalist’s (IFAJ) Congress in Sweden in August, where her story will also be judged against her peers from around the world,” Ms Harfull said.

Kerry’s entry has been submitted in the television category. Two other Australians, Kendall Jackson (SA) and Caddie Brain (NT), have won the Australian radio and online categories respectively and will now wait eagerly to see how their entry ranks at the international level.

Rabobank general manager, Rural Australia, Peter Knoblanche, said Rabobank was pleased to be supporting Australian rural journalism through this significant award.

“I congratulate all three national winners for their excellent coverage of rural issues and wish Kerry well at the Congress,” Mr Knoblanche said.

“The national winners from the first two years of the competition went on to take out the major international prizes, so we have high hopes for the international judging.”

Each state rural media club selected finalists to represent them in the competition, which was judged at national level by ABC South East presenter Alan Richardson and former ABC and WIN TV journalist Andrew Madden.

Mr Richardson said Kerry’s report was outstanding and deserved exposure beyond Australian shores. Mr Madden described it as a standout.

“It was a broad ranging and incisive piece on the problems facing the world in feeding its growing population and Australia's position and opportunities in being a potential key player in food production and food technology transfer,” Mr Madden said.

ABC rural reporter Kendall Jackson, based at Port Pirie in South Australia, won the national radio category for her unusual story about thieving foxes stealing work boots.

Mr Richardson said this package held his interest and had him smiling.

“It really caught my attention; it was a nice quirky story that was a real gem to find and covered well with good talent.

“It's the sort of story that could go "viral" in media around the world as the talent is so good and the story so unusual,” Mr Richardson said.

For the first time, a Northern Territory-based journalist has won recognition in the awards, with Alice Springs-based Caddie Brain winning the online category.

Caddie’s online video story, entered through her membership of Rural Media WA, covered a Central Australian cattleman’s 730 kilometre journey across the Tanami Desert in his motorised wheelchair.

Mr Madden noted that it was a well-produced and executed piece examining one man's effort to make a difference, despite disability.

The three national entries have now been entered into the international competition, with the winner to be announced at the IFAJ Congress in Sweden, August 15-19 2012.