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RMSA Life Membership Awarded to Dale Manson
Dale Manson receiving his Life Membership parchment from RMSA President, Ian Doyle
Rural Media South Australia recently awarded Life Membership to long time committee person, Dale Manson in recognition of his contribution to the Association.
He joins Jim McCarter, Bruce Mitchell, Ian Doyle and Bob Snewin as only the fifth person to be awarded life membership of RMSA in its forty-two year history.
Dale has produced the RMSA Meeting Notices since 1998 and for the past eight years has chaired the judging panel of the Telstra Rural Journalist of the Year Awards. These awards recognise excellence in rural journalism in the mediums of radio, print, television and on-line.
He also produced and presented the “Agrow” rural affairs program for twenty eight years on radio 5MU, until his retirement from PIRSA in early 2011. With an overall broadcast history of thirty years, “Agrow” held the record as the longest running daily rural affairs program on commercial radio in Australia. As an extension of “Agrow”, he also presented the “Rural Solutions” radio program across the State through the Fairfax radio and Flow FM networks.
Leigh Radford takes up international representation
One of Australia’s most senior rural broadcasters and RMSA Vice President, Leigh Radford has been appointed to represent the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ) on the executive of its international counterpart.
Leigh Radford replaces rural journalist and author, Liz Harfull as national delegate to the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ). Liz served for more than 10 years as IFAJ delegate and continues as ACAJ president.
In his substantive role as ABC Rural National Editor, Leigh Radford manages all ABC Rural Department staff across Australia. According to Liz Harfull, Leigh is a multi-award winning rural journalist who is highly regarded by his peers and deeply committed to furthering the interests of specialist rural journalists in Australia.
As the ACAJ representative to the IFAJ, Leigh Radford will play a critical role in linking Australian rural journalists, photographers and communicators with their counterparts around the world. He will also assist in the delivery of international opportunities for professional development.
In accepting the appointment, Leigh Radford said it was important that Australia continue to be engaged in relevant industry-based discussions and issues in the international arena. He feels the IFAJ is an opportunity to do that and to help connect rural journalists from around the world.
Leigh joined the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in February 1987 as a trainee rural reporter, serving at regional stations in Victoria and South Australia. He was the voice of the Country Hour in South Australia from the early 1990s until January 2005 and served as the State’s Executive Producer of ABC Rural programs from 1997. Leigh was appointed National Editor of all ABC Rural programs and online content in 2005.
A multi-award winning broadcaster, he has a number of Dalgety Awards for Excellence in Rural Journalism to his credit and several Landcare awards. In 1996 he became the inaugural winner of the South Australian Telstra Rural Journalist of the Year award.
Ian Turner is the new Rural Media SA representative to ACAJ, taking over from long-serving representative Ian Doyle.
Norman Marston Inducted as “Rural Media Icon”
One of the most significant contributors to rural and regional media in this state, Norman Marston has been inducted by Rural Media South Australia as a “Rural Media Icon”.
With a history of over six decades leading innovation in the country newspaper sector, Norman Marston started his career working for the family newspaper in Eudunda and Burra. When the family purchased “The Courier” newspaper at Mount Barker in 1952, he shifted to that area as the paper’s production manager.
In 1966 Norman and his late brother took over total management of “The Courier” from their father, with Norman’s primary focus remaining on the production side of the newspaper’s business. Under Norman Marston’s leadership, “The Courier” at Mt Barker has become recognised as the benchmark of country newspapers in South Australia and among the very best in Australia.
The Marston family has one of the longest histories in family newspaper ownership in Australia and its ownership of “The Courier” now spans four generations;
During Norman Marston’s six decades with “The Courier”, the paper has changed immensely in its size, quality and circulation. In 1953 the paper was eight to 12 pages in size, with a circulation of around 1,900 copies. By 2005, the paper averaged more than 76 pages a week with around 15,000 copies printed.
As part of his induction as a “Rural Media Icon”, Norman Marston was presented with a framed parchment and an engraved hand-made RM Williams Condamine Bell. The bell was coupled to a brass buckled leather strap hand-made by a true South Australian craftsman saddler with a lifetime in the industry. Both the Condamine Bell and the hand-made leather strap serve as iconic images of rural Australia, for a true “Rural Media Icon”.
Norman Marston’s contribution to rural and regional media in South Australia over the past six decades is unequalled. His legacy remains to steer the course of one of the few remaining family owned regional newspapers in this state.
Norman Marston joins Angela Goode, Jon Lamb and Dick James as only the fourth person honoured by RMSA as a “Rural Media Icon”.
SA celebrates another
national leadership award winner
South Australia’s success for the second year running in a prestigious national award for young rural journalists was celebrated today (Thursday, July 28) at a gathering of the State’s rural press club.
Stock Journal editor Deanna Lush is heading to Canada in September after winning the 2011 Alltech Young Leaders in Rural Journalism Award, organised annually by the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ) and sponsored by global animal nutrition company, Alltech.
In taking out the award, Deanna is following in the footsteps of her predecessor at the Stock Journal, Tom Dawkins, who is now editor of the Stock and Land, based in Melbourne.
She will attend the 2011 congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) in Canada from September 14 to 18, with leading rural journalists and communicators from more than 30 countries.
In a major new initiative coordinated by the IFAJ and sponsored by Alltech, she will also participate in a special three-day ‘boot camp’ before the main congress. The tailor-made professional development program will also involve 10 other young leaders selected from around the world, with both practical and formal training from highly regarded practitioners and a personal mentor.
 Full story
Media Contacts:
Liz Harfull
President ACAJ
M: 0409 674 941
E: lizharfull@internode.on.net
Deanna Lush
M: 0419 035 463
SA rural writer Nigel Austin is national runner-up
South Australian journalist, author and rural editor for The Advertiser Nigel Austin was named runner-up of the prestigious 2011 John Deere Australian Star Prize for Rural Writing with a story titled ‘The Great Grain Gain’. The story which focussed on the revitalisation of the Australian grain industry, was published in the May 2010 edition of the paper’s Business Monthly publication.
Queensland-based rural journalist Ashley Walmsley won the 2011 John Deere Australian Star Prize for Rural Writing and a trip to Canada later this year to attend an international gathering of his peers.
Walmsley’s article about the Asian honeybee incursion in Australia was judged the winning entry in the national competition organised by the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ). ‘Asian Invasion’ was cover story for the November 2010 issue of the Good Fruit and Vegetables magazine which he edits for Rural Press Ltd.
Walmsley’s story will now represent Australia in a prestigious international competition run by the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ). John Deere’s sponsorship is providing registration and airfare costs up to a value of $5000 for him to attend the award ceremony, which will be a major highlight of the IFAJ’s annual congress in Ontario, Canada, from September 14 to 18.
Award co-ordinator and ACAJ vice president Jane Milburn said the judges selected Walmsley’s article from a strong field of State finalists because it was a well-written and researched piece of great importance to the horticultural industry nationwide. The story highlighted horticultural groups’ lack of commitment to funding eradication of the Asian honeybee, despite the potential threat to their industries if the pest is allowed to spread.
In researching the story, the writer contacted more than 11 groups representing the major fruit and vegetable crops in Australia about their funding stance, as well as apiarists and biosecurity authorities about the consequences if the Asian honeybee is not contained.
John Deere’s advertising and communications manager Craig Pretorius said the company was pleased to sponsor the award as a way of rewarding excellence and helping spread the word about matters of importance to agribusiness and food production.
“Quality writing about farming issues is important to our sector, so we value this opportunity to support rural journalism and provide a professional development opportunity to Ashley,” Mr Pretorius said.
Ms Milburn said the ACAJ very much appreciated the professional development opportunities made possible through the support of John Deere, which alsosponsors the international award.
The John Deere Australian Star Prize for Rural Writing is part of a suite of awards run annually by the ACA J in association with Australia’s five State-based rural press clubs, with others including the Rabobank Australian Star Prize for Rural Broadcasting and the Australian Star Prize for Rural Photography.
For more information and to view the winning entries visit www.acaj.org.au
Full story
Media Contacts:
Jane Milburn
M: 0408 787 964
E: jane@milburnmedia.com
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.
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.
Full story
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
Fire photo a national winner for Mark
Two South Australians have been honoured in a prestigious national award program celebrating rural Australia, announced in Sydney today.
The Advertiser’s Mark Brake has won the category for nature and landscape photography in the Australian Star Prize for Rural Photography, and will now represent Australia in a major international competition. Tait Schmaal, from the same newspaper, was awarded a highly commended in the category for photos relating to farm production.
The prestigious award is organized by the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ), the umbrella body for Australia’s five rural press clubs, including Rural Media South Australia (RMSA).
Full story
Media Contacts:
Liz Harfull
President ACAJ
M: 0409 674 941
E: lizharfull@internode.on.net
Gordon Collie
Photo Award Coordinator
M: 0409 473 343
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Upcoming meetings
Rural Media South Australia aims to provide a genuine focus for rural issues, combined with a forum for networking between the highest levels of agribusiness, government, media and rural producers.
Members and guests are encouraged to note the following dates in their diaries:
2011 Meetings
Wednesday 4th April
Luncheon Meeting
“Women of the Land”
Speaker: Pip Courtney
Presenter – ABC Television “Landline”
Luncheon 12.00 noon for 12.30 pm
(Members’ Banquet Room – Adelaide Showground, Wayville)
Thursday 13th September
2012 RMSA Royal Adelaide Show Breakfast
Breakfast 7.00 am for 7.30 am
(Adelaide Showground, Wayville)
Friday 7th December
2012 Telstra Rural Media Awards
Luncheon 12.00 noon for 12.30 pm
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