International judging panel awards top hounour to rural editor

9 July 2008

Good Fruit and Vegetables magazine editor Brad Cooper has been selected by an international panel of judges to receive the 2008 Australian Star Prize for Rural Journalism.

The Brisbane-based journalist will now represent Australia in the world’s most prestigious professional competition for rural journalists – the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) Star Prize for Agricultural Journalism.
The Australian prize was organised by the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ), the national umbrella organisation for Australia’s five state-based rural press clubs.

Brad represented Queensland and competed against finalists nominated by affiliated clubs in Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales. He will receive a cash prize of $1000 and a certificate from sponsor, John Deere, who also sponsors the international award.

Second place was awarded to Victorian finalist, Carlene Dowie, from The Australian Dairyfarmer magazine, and third place went to Mathew Cawood, from The Land, in NSW.

All three placegetters impressed the judging panel, which comprised:

1. Dr Jim Evans, one of the world’s most respected leaders in agricultural communications. After working as a journalist in radio and television, and as an account executive in a leading public relations business, Dr Evans became head of teaching and research in the Agricultural Communications Department at the University of Illinois, in the United States.
2. James Campbell, a highly respected farm commentator in Europe, who has been Northern Editor with the Irish Farm Journal for more than 20 years. He has a Masters degree in Farm Business Economics and a post graduate diploma in agricultural communications. James represents Ireland on the IFAJ executive, and is a past winner of the Star Prize.
3. David East, a former Rural Press senior group editor and national award winner, with more than 35 years’ experience in rural journalism. He was a leading farm machinery writer, served as editor of the Stock Journal and was involved in establishing the Australian Farm Journal.

Brad Cooper’s story, ‘The last post: life and death in the Murray Darling Basin’, published in the November 2007 edition of Good Fruit and Vegetables, was the unanimous choice of the judges. The story covers, in depth, the impact of ongoing water shortages in the Basin on growers and their communities.

Dr Evans said the entry carried special impact, partly because of the breadth, importance and timeliness of the issue it addressed, and partly because it reflected strong journalistic enterprise.

“An attention-gaining lead sets the stage for examining elements (mismanagement, flawed science and deregulated water market) that lie beyond the challenges of drought. Then the story segments draw upon a variety of sources to highlight relevant dimensions of the severe challenges facing producers and communities in the Basin. Copy throughout the entry reads nicely and commands interest,” he said.

James Campbell also liked the style of Dowie’s story, ‘Vision and planning brings rewards for young farmers’, published in the September-October 2007 edition of The Australian Dairyfarmer, The story profiled Dairy Business of the Year award winners, Browyn and Claudio Segafredo, from Nambrok in Gippsland.

“It had good content, figures for reference and was not afraid to mention the good fortune along the way,” Campbell said.
David East said third placegetter, Mathew Cawood, deserved credit for tackling an almost hidden issue of great importance in his story, ‘Attack on pollinators’, published in The Land on May 10, 2007. The story explored the need to invest more money into research and development for the Australian bee industry to protect it from pests and diseases. While virtually unsung, the story points out that one in three bites of food relies on the honeybee.

“It was an extremely interesting read about a very important issue,” East said.
ACAJ President Gordon Collie said the organisation was very pleased to involve highly regarded farm journalists, editors and educators of international standing in judging the award.

“They were extremely impressed with the calibre of entries which says something about the quality of rural journalism in this country. The prize is a great showcase for our best rural writing talent and it gives the Australian rural sector international recognition,” he said.

John Deere Australia advertising and communications manager Craig Pretorius said the company was pleased to support the award both internationally and in Australia.

“The calibre of work of the Australian finalists this year was impressive.

“Congratulations to Brad Cooper on his winning entry which revealed the human impact of the water crisis in the Murray Darling  Basin. This is a hugely significant issue for Australian agriculture,” Mr Pretorius said.

The international Star Prize winner will be announced on September 1 and honoured during the annual IFAJ congress, to be held in Austria and Slovenia from September 10 to 14.