SA finalists celebrated in prestigious national rural broadcasting award

Three local journalists are in the running to win the Rabobank Australian Star Prize for Rural Broadcasting and represent Australia in a prestigious international competition for excellence in reporting on issues related to agriculture.

South Australian finalists in the Australian competition were celebrated today in Adelaide at a gathering of Rural Media South Australia, the State’s press club for people interested in rural issues.

Three local journalists are in the running to win the Rabobank Australian Star Prize for Rural Broadcasting and represent Australia in a prestigious international competition for excellence in reporting on issues related to agriculture.

South Australian finalists in the Australian competition were celebrated today in Adelaide at a gathering of Rural Media South Australia, the State’s press club for people interested in rural issues.

ABC’s SA Country Hour presenter Annabelle Homer is the radio category finalist with a piece exploring community consultation at Renmark during the release of the controversial Guide to the Murray Darling Plan, broadcast on October 15, 2010.

ABC Landline reporter Kerry Staight will represent SA in the television category with ‘Of Mice and Men’, her story about the worst mice plague in 15 years to hit southern Australia, broadcast on July 4, 2010.

Awards for online radio and video broadcasting were presented to the ABC’s Riverland rural reporter, Natalie Oliveri for reports on Riverland larrikin Frank Turton and a topical invention showcased at the local field days to ‘munch’ locusts. Both pieces were broadcast via the ABC Rural website.

Although Kerry could not attend today’s event because of filming commitments, both Annabelle and Natalie were presented with framed certificates by Rabobank State Manager, Rural SA, James Robinson, who praised the quality of rural broadcasting in the State, and its contribution to rural industries and communities.

“As a major financier to the nation’s food and agribusiness sector, we understand the important communication role rural journalists play in keeping local communities informed about agricultural issues,” he said.

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Media Contacts:

Ian Doyle
President RMSA
M: 0417 819 189
E: dms@iinet.net.au

Liz Harfull
President ACAJ
M: 0409 674 941
E: lizharfull@internode.on.net